


Fear is the Heart of Love

by MariaArnt



Category: Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Ending, Erotica, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), I have no idea where this is going, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Probably going to get kinky at some point, Star Wars: The Last Jedi Spoilers, but I must write it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-03-15 07:33:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 35
Words: 97,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13608582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MariaArnt/pseuds/MariaArnt
Summary: What if Rey & Ben had found a way to compromise, for Ben to bend a little so Rey could take his hand?Rey makes a deal with Ben: she'll join forces with him if he agrees to stop attacking the Resistance. Now she has to figure out how to help him rule the galaxy and how to love someone she's terrified of. In the end, the answer to both problems is the same: Fear is the Heart of Love.





	1. Compromise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! It's that new Reylo fic I've been promising forever! This time, I'm doing things a little differently. As much as I love dub-con and sometimes even non-con, I'm going with enthusiastic consent for the most part on this one. At least that's the plan for now, and I'll be sure to let you know if that changes. Also, no sexy Hux. As fun as he was in the Low Road, he's going to play a much different role in this story. I mean, he'll still be sexy, he's Hux. But there will not be sexy fun Hux times. ( @ReyloRobyn2011 hope that helps <3 )
> 
> I've gone with an alternate ending this time, in part because the High Road and Low Road being a continuation meant that the Last Jedi made them obsolete. New canon can't ruin this one because it's already deviated from the canon. The other part is that while I love the ending of the Last Jedi (Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order, kneeling in tears as Rey closes the door of his father's ship in his face is everything I live for) I am absolutely haunted by the "what if" of Kylo's offer.
> 
> I'll be posting an accompanying illustration for every chapter over on my Tumblr, mariaarnt.tumblr.com, as well as sneak peeks for upcoming chapters and other related Reylo things, so be sure to follow me for all those extra goodies.

 Rey screamed as the red-clad guard grabbed her arm, pulling her into a hold as his electrified blade slowly drew closer and closer to her face. She couldn't bring the lightsaber around to stop him, unless...

On instinct, she let go of the sword. Her hands free, she easily dropped, slipping out of the hold and catching the handle again before it hit the floor. Turning, she swiped at the guard's knees and then his throat. He staggered backward, then fell off the platform.

Whirling, Rey looked for the next enemy, but instead saw that Ben was caught in a similar dilemma, a guard's staff pressed against his throat. He had lost his lightsaber somehow.

"Ben!" she shouted, and tossed him her own, the blade deactivating as it flew.

He caught it and powered up the blade for just a moment. It was enough - it had gone right through the guard's faceplate. The body dropped away behind him, but his gaze never left her eyes. They were the only two left standing.

Adrenaline coursed through Rey's veins, even as she realized the fight was over. Somehow, they had won. Behind her, the sound of a distant explosion caught her attention. She turned and saw another Resistance transport implode in a burst of green turbolaser. "The fleet..." The fight wasn't over yet.

She turned to Ben. "Order them to stop firing, there's still time to save the fleet!"

But Ben wasn't looking at her anymore. He stood staring, transfixed, at the lower half of Snoke's body that remained on the throne. He took a step towards it, and then a second.

"Ben?" she asked quietly.

"It's time to let old things die," he said slowly and turned to face her. "Snoke. Skywalker. The Sith, the Jedi. The rebels - let it all die. Rey," he held out a hand. "I want you to join me."

She shook her head, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"We can rule together, bring a new order to the galaxy!" His voice grew more insistent as he saw her reluctance.

"Don't do this, Ben," she pleaded softly. "Please don't go this way."

"No, no, you're still... _holding on_!" he shouted, clenching his fist. "Let go!!" He took a step towards her, cautious, as if he was afraid she would run away. "Do you want to know the truth about your parents?" He came closer, studying her face as she trembled before him. "Or have you always known, and you've just hidden it away?"

Rey closed her eyes, more frightened of the softness in his voice than when he had shouted.

"You know the truth," he murmured, and she felt the touch of his mind on hers, gentle and familiar. "Say it."

Tears began to pour down her face, but she couldn't find her voice.

"Say it," he whispered. It was the tenderness in his voice that broke her.

"They were nobody." Her voice trembled as she revealed her deepest fear.

He nodded. "They were filthy junk traders, who sold you off for drinking money."

The disgust in his voice made her breath hitch.

"They're dead, buried in a pauper's grave in the Jakku desert. You have no place in this story," he shook his head. "You come from nothing. You're nothing."

Looking down, she blinked hard, struggling to respond. It was true, it was all true, but it hurt so much. Despair flooded all her senses until she felt nothing else. Why did she think she had a place in all this? What a fool she had been. All she had wanted was to feel like she belonged somewhere, had some meaning to someone.

"But not to me," he murmured.

Rey glanced up. While she hadn't expected him to say it, she wasn't surprised. She already knew.

He lifted a hand, extending it. "Join me."

"Ben..." she scrubbed the tears from her face with the heels of her hands. "I... I want to. But you're asking me to let everyone who's ever cared for me die!"

"They will betray you, they always do!" he spat back.

That made her pause. A moment of stillness, in all the chaos. "Does that mean you'll betray me eventually, too?"

Ben's mouth fell open, and his hand lowered a fraction. "No. I would never betray you, Rey."

"I don't know that," she said, her voice tight. "For all that we've been through, I barely know you. I need this, Ben. Prove to me that I'm more than just a tool to you, that you won't use me the way Snoke used you. Let my friends live."

He glanced between her and the magnifying lens, judging the risk. His hand dropped the rest of the way, clenching into a fist. "We can't show weakness now. The Resistance must be crushed, or we'll never have an end to rebellions."

Rey let out a sound that might have been a laugh if it wasn't so sad. "You can't kill the Resistance with fear, Ben. It's the fuel that powers every rebellion!"

He frowned, considering her more carefully. "How then, would you kill it?"

"With mercy," she said, the words out of her mouth before she could stop them. "If you show them mercy now, the whole galaxy will fall to you, believing you better than Snoke. They'll see you as a savior, and who would rebel against that?"

Even before she was done speaking, he began to jog - almost run - to the communications console. "Belay all orders!" he shouted, and his voice reverberated throughout the enormous flagship.

 

* * *

  

Hundreds of decks away, two stormtroopers paused, electroblades lifted to strike down the traitor and the spy before them. In the distance, a shuttle took off, ignoring the command.

The voice of Kylo Ren came blaring through the hangar once more. "By order of the Supreme Leader, all ships are to cease fire and take up position around the planet. There are to be no more enemy casualties without direct orders. All senior officers will report to the Supreme Leader immediately."

Captain Phasma stared down at the two figures lying prone before her.

"Bring them along," General Hux ordered, and set off for the nearest turbolift. Smothering her disappointment, she signaled for the two executioners to follow. They dragged the prisoners up to their feet and marched after the General.

 

* * *

 

Aboard one of the transports, silence reigned for a long moment. It dragged on, as the occupants waited for the next explosion, or perhaps their own demise. But nothing came. The silence of space was all around them. 

"They've stopped firing." Poe was the first to break it.

Beside him, Leia sagged in relief for a moment and then collected herself. "Get us to the base," she ordered. "They're not gone yet. We have to use this opportunity before it closes."

All around, rebels prepared for landing, strapping into their seats as the first rumble of atmosphere shook the ship. No one dared voice the question that they all wondered: Why had the First Order stopped?

 

* * *

 

Half a galaxy away, Luke sighed in relief, and let himself drift slowly back down to the stone. It seemed his sacrifice would not yet be needed. He would give Rey the chance to be the hero this time.

 

* * *

 

Rey was panicking. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded. "If they come here, they'll see..." she gestured helplessly to the severed body of Snoke. "And they'll know that you issued those orders, not the Supreme Leader!" 

Unconcerned, Ben stepped over the body of a Praetorian guard and picked up his lightsaber. He clipped it to his hip and turned to look at Rey "The Supreme Leader did issue those orders," he said simply. "And when they see what has happened, they will know it is true."

Rey felt the floor drop out from beneath her as she understood. "You're..."

"Yes," he said in answer to her unspoken question. "And if you want your friends to live, then you will swear absolute allegiance to me. Pledge yourself to me, Rey. All of you. That is _my_ price."

Her hands trembled. Her eyes darted to Luke's lightsaber, still in his hand. She could take it from him and fight him, but then what? Even if she won, how would she escape? The First Order would renew their barrage on the Resistance, and her friends would die anyway.

She knew the path before her led into the Darkness, but this time she could see that the promise was not an empty lie. Swallowing, she strode towards him. When she stood an arm's reach away, she stopped.

"Do you want me to kneel?" she asked bitterly.

"No. Just say it. Your word is enough." He gazed down at her, daring her to defy him. And yet, she barely had to reach out in the Force to feel how terribly vulnerable he was in this moment. He _needed_ her, for this to work.

Taking a deep breath, she searched for the right words. "I swear to you my allegiance," she said slowly. "I pledge to you all of me, and to never betray you."

Ben licked his lips, and then lifted Luke's lightsaber, placing it in her hands. "And I swear the same to you," he whispered. "Whatever is mine is yours, and I will never forsake you."

Rey's head swam. She hadn't expected him to reciprocate. There was something sacred in the moment, in the words they spoke to each other. She found herself leaning towards him, lost in the expression she had never seen on his face before: contentment.

The doors to the turbolift opened. "What in the..."

Rey tore her gaze away to see an officer with slicked-back red hair take a few steps into the room. He stared with incredulity at the carnage around her and Ben. They watched as his gaze fell on Snoke's body.

"What has happened here? Who did this?" the man demanded.

"General Hux," Ben said, smirking. "I'm glad you're the first to arrive. The Supreme Leader is dead."

"I can see that! How the hell did this happen?" he shouted, color flooding his pale skin.

Ben hesitated, and Rey thought at first he was stringing the General along for his own amusement for a moment. But then she realized - he was stalling.

"Snoke died by my blade," Rey answered truthfully.

Hux reached for his blaster, but Ben was faster, throwing out a hand and clenching it. The General's toes left the floor and both his hands went to his throat. His face went from red to purple.

"And so will you if you harm her," Ben hissed. "Now, let's try this again, shall we? The Supreme Leader. Is. Dead." He eased his hand the smallest fraction.

"Long live the Supreme Leader," Hux choked out.

"Very good." Ben released his grip, and Hux fell to the floor coughing.

"And who is she?" he gasped, eyeing Rey as he got back to his feet.

_I'm nobody from nowhere,_ Rey thought.

"She is my Right Hand," Ben said confidently. "Any orders she issues should be considered to have come directly from me."

Rey's head whipped to look at him. Had he just made her all but his equal? A rush of emotions clattered through her: gratitude, confusion, and then dread. She realized what this meant, what her pledge had meant. She was now part of the First Order.

Her stomach roiled. In trying to save her friends - to save _Ben -_ she had become part of the very monster she had hoped to slay. Her pledge to Ben had been on a personal level. She hadn't considered what it would mean to make such a pledge to the _Supreme Leader._ She thought she might be sick, but she struggled to keep a straight face, staring down the man before her. She couldn't afford to show weakness to him.

In return, General Hux sized her up with open animosity. Clearly, she was now competition. Behind him, the turbolift doors opened once more, revealing three troopers, one in brilliant chrome armor and the other two with distinctive black marks on the usual white plasteel. The latter two each dragged a figure in ragged officer's robes: a short girl and a familiar man.

"Finn!" Rey shouted before she could stop herself. She jolted to take a step forward but managed to hold back, sensing that this was not the time for hugging. 

"Rey, what the hell are you doing here?" he asked. The trooper holding Finn struck him with the butt of his weapon, making her friend double up.

"I take it you and FN-2187 know each other?" Hux said mildly.

"He helped me get off Jakku," Rey told Ben, ignoring the General for the time being.

The new Supreme Leader considered the tableau before him carefully. "Why are these two here?" he asked Hux.

"We found them trying to disable the hyperspace tracker's power relay," Hux explained smugly. "Their execution was delayed by your order."

Rey felt the blood drain from her face. She glanced at Ben, who shook his head almost imperceptibly. Instead, he stepped forward until he was eye to eye with the former stormtrooper.

"I remember you, FN-2187," he said softly. "You failed to follow my order to fire on the villagers on Jakku."

Finn swallowed visibly. "It's Finn now," he said with forced bravado.

"And are you a member of the Resistance now, _Finn_?" he asked.

The young man glanced at the woman he'd been captured with. She glared back at him with a fierce combination of hope and despair - daring him not to be a coward. "Yeah," Finn replied, turning back to the Supreme Leader. "I'm with the Resistance." 

Rey couldn't help but smile. He sounded a lot more confident about it now.

"Very good," Ben said, and turned to walk back to Rey. "You will serve as envoy to whatever is left of them, then. I will have a message for you within a cycle."

The idea of doing the bidding of the First Order once more seemed to put a bad taste in Finn's mouth, judging by his expression. "And what about Rose?"

"Your cooperation will ensure her survival," Ben said smoothly. "If you try to escape, or try to help any of the Resistance escape, she will be executed."

Finn didn't seem to like that very much, but the didn't say anything. "And Rey?"

Ben turned to look at Rey, his eyebrows raised. "What about her?"

"I want her safety guaranteed. And I want her in the same cell as Rose," he demanded.

"The Hand is free to go wherever she likes on my ship and is quite safe," he assured Finn in a light voice, looking back to catch his reaction. "She has the authority to access your companion's cell, but will, of course, be provided with her own quarters."

Finn didn't disappoint. He looked between Rey and the Supreme Leader rapidly. "The Hand?" some flicker of recognition crossed his face, and his eyes widened. "Rey, he doesn't mean...?"

Rey lifted her chin despite the tightness in her chest. "I have pledged myself to the Supreme Leader," she said with as strong a voice she could manage, conscious of her audience, "in order to save the lives of the remaining members of the Resistance."

Her friend scowled. "You _sold_ yourself to him," he spat.

"It's not--" she caught the shift of the chrome trooper's armor as she exchanged a glance with the General. The captain's expression was unreadable behind the helmet, but the one Hux returned was clearly amused. "I'll talk to you about this _later_ ," she promised.

Finn made a disgusted sound. Rey felt his disapproval like a blow to her knees. She wondered if he'd even give her a chance to explain, or if he'd already made up his mind. She remembered when he'd said he was leaving at Maz's cantina, how betrayed she had felt. But Finn had only been trying to save his own skin. What she had done must seem a hundred, a thousand times worse.

Before she could think of an explanation that wouldn't make her look bad in front of Ben's subordinates, the turbo lift opened once more, emitting more high-ranking officers. 

"Take them to the brig," Ben ordered, and then added as an afterthought, "allow them to share a cell. I must introduce the Hand to the rest of the command."

"Of course, Supreme Leader," Hux replied, saluting with a fist to his chest. He eyed Rey one last time, much the way a sand cat eyes an unwary junker bird, and then turned to leave.

The chrome trooper and her flunkies followed after, dragging Finn and Rose along with them. Finn looked back at her as the turbolift doors began to close, something close to hatred twisting his face.

Rey felt certain she had just lost her only friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, folks, let me know what you think! Comments are one of the few things guaranteed to light a fire under my butt to write more - several comments over on the Low Road & High Road kept me from giving up on this one.
> 
> I'm also pantsing this story, which is a first for me, so if you have any suggestions I'm all ears. Right now I'm hoping for part political intrigue, part love story, part self-directed Cinderella/Pygmalion. I'm focusing on making Rey the driving factor, so it will likely be entirely from her POV.


	2. Mending Fences

Rey tried to focus on the latest batch of officers and subtly shifted her weight from her right foot to her left. The pain had started to radiate up her ankles and into her calves. She'd been standing there for hours, she guessed, as she was introduced to the hundreds of First Order officers that constituted the upper ranks. For someone who had grown up surrounded by only a few dozen people, the task of remembering so many new names and faces seemed impossible. 

As the introductions wore on, the faces of the officers became less surprised, although they still sent her a lot of wary glances. Gossip traveled fast, even on a ship of this size, and before long the change of leadership was known and - from all outward appearances - accepted.

Troopers came and removed the bodies of the praetorian guards, although Snoke's remains were left untouched. After a while, they began to smell. A med droid came in to clean the cut on her arm and put a bacta patch on it. All she could think about was Finn, sitting in a cell somewhere, convinced that she had betrayed him.

When the Colonels and Majors began to give way to Captains and Lieutenants, Ben seemed to take pity on her. One of the grey-clad officers announced himself as being in charge of officer accommodations, and the newly-minted Supreme Leader asked if there were any quarters available on deck 438-C. 

Bemused, the Lieutenant consulted a datapad. "Yes, Supreme Leader," he answered. "That deck is largely unassigned, aside from... well, your old quarters sir."

"My _old_ quarters?" Ben asked.

"Well, yes, sir." The Lieutenant was growing more nervous by the moment, sweat beading on his brow. "The Supreme Leader's quarters are on deck 11-A."

Ben wiped a hand over his mouth, and the Lieutenant swallowed visibly. Only Rey, from her angle, could see that he was hiding a grimace. "I will not be taking residence in the Supreme Leader's quarters until I've had time to inspect it and... update the decor," he made a gesture that reminded Rey suddenly of his father.

"Of course sir, I will arrange for it immediately." The Lieutenant bowed sharply.

"First, assign the Hand quarters on deck 438-C and escort her there," he ordered. Turning to Rey, he gave her a sympathetic look. "I will contact you if I require your presence," he said formally. "Until then, you have the run of the ship."

"Yes, Supreme Leader," Rey forced the words out, and mimicked the salute all the officers had given, pressing her right fist against the left side of her chest and bowing slightly.

As she left, she could feel his eyes on her until the turbolift doors closed. As they descended through the enormous ship, she tried to get her bearings. She ran over the conversation she'd had with Ben on the way up. Was this the vision he had seen? It certainly didn't feel like hers had. Perhaps his hadn't turned out quite as he had expected either.

When the doors opened, she followed the hapless lieutenant through a maze of corridors. She was quickly lost, and decided she'd have to spend some time studying the schematics before she went anywhere. Maybe that's what Ben had planned.

At last, they came to a bulkhead marked 438-C. In this hallway was a series of evenly spaced, undecorated doors. The access panels on each blinked with a small green light until they came to one marked red. They passed it and stopped at the next door. 

"These are your assigned quarters for the time being, ma'am," he told her. "I'm certain the Supreme Leader will have a security chip issued to you soon, but in the meantime, you'll have to use the voice recognition system for access purposes."

"Okay," Rey said, feeling like she should respond but not sure what to say.

The Lieutenant held up his datapad towards her face. "Please state your name to establish recognition."

Blinking, she leaned forward a little. "Rey?" she said to the data pad.

Hesitating, he frowned at her, thick black eyebrows scrunching up. "Um... is that all ma'am?"

She shrugged. "Just Rey."

"We'll need a longer sample than that," he said apologetically. "Perhaps a phrase?"

Floundering, Rey stared hard at the datapad. "May the Force be with you," she told it.

The officer's eyebrows went up, but the data pad made an affirmative cheep. 

"Thank you, ma'am. Will you be needing anything else?"

She shook her head. "No, thank you. Um... you're dismissed," she said lamely.

The Lieutenant saluted and then left.

Rey stared around the quarters. They were spare, utilitarian, and far superior to any lodgings she'd ever called her own. There was a meal prep station, a bed, and a table that she could see. Two small doors hinted at more, but before she could investigate, an orange and white blur came shooting out from behind the bed.

Her hand jerked towards Luke's lightsaber, but when the droid came to a stop, she recognized it. "Beebee-ate!" she cried, and knelt down to its level.

The droid let out a torrent of beeps and whistles that were difficult to keep up with. Something about hyperspace tracking and Finn and a 'dirty thief.' Without pausing to clarify, he demanded to know what Rey was doing on the First Order ship.

"I... I came here," Rey explained. "To speak with Ben. To convince him to turn."

BB-8 asked who Ben was.

"Kylo Ren."

The droid let out a low whistle. 

Rey couldn't help but laugh, suddenly aware of how surreal her situation was. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to think. "How did you get in my room? I didn't even know it was my room."

BB-8 told her that he had been monitoring the ships records to see if he could figure out how to break into the brig and help Finn and Rose escape when he noticed the new quarters assignment. He thought maybe she would be able to help.

Sighing, Rey stood up. "I can get you into the brig," she admitted. "But I can't promise any escapes. Finn will be going back to the Resistance soon, anyway."

The droid was too excited to ask for clarification, immediately rolling towards the door. She followed, somewhat reluctantly. They made their way through the maze once more at a brisk pace, and Rey was glad that BB-8 knew where he was going. As they came around a corner, BB-8 made a startled chirp and backtracked, nearly knocking her over.

Two armed stormtroopers came after him, and then skidded to a halt when they saw Rey. "Excuse us, ma'am," the one on the left said. "Is this droid yours?"

"Yes," she answered automatically. They stood there awkwardly for a moment, and she realized she had to dismiss them. "Carry on," she said awkwardly, and then ran past them.

BB-8 hesitated, but then followed her, swiveling its head around to glance back at the white-clad guards. He whistled something about _Jedi tricks_ and zoomed past her to take the lead.

She didn't have the heart to correct him.

They took a turbolift, which seemed to take forever. "How big is this ship, anyway? I didn't get a good look at it on my way in."

BB-8 rattled off the dimensions as the doors opened, and Rey almost missed her chance to exit. She jogged to catch up, her head spinning. The _Supremacy_  had a wingspan that was more than three times the length of the old Imperial Super Star Destroyers, which made it the largest ship ever constructed. Many terrestrial cities were smaller.

After nearly half an hour, they made it to the detention level. BB-8 stopped just around the corner to the entrance and asked Rey what her plan to break in was. 

"Just follow me, I'll take care of it," she said, and strode confidently around the corner.

The guard on duty snapped to attention when she appeared. He saluted, and she nodded in return. "Which cell are the Resistance prisoners being held in?" she asked.

"3A, ma'am," he answered. "Just a few down on your left."

"Thank you," she replied, before realizing that it might not be proper for a superior to thank a subordinate in the First Order. She'd have to ask Ben.

BB-8 followed her silently until they came to the appointed door. Now what? he seemed to ask.

Rey sighed. She pressed the cell's access panel, and it turned red. "Access Restricted to Class 4 or Higher," a message on the control panel flashed. 

"Activate voice recognition security clearance," Rey ordered.

The panel stopped flashing, and the screen displayed: "Voice recognition security clearance activated. Please state your identity."

"May the Force be with you," she said instead.

After a moment, the light turned green and the words changed to,"Voice recognition confirmed for Rey, Right Hand of the Supreme Leader. Access Granted."

Behind her, BB-8 let out a shocked cheep.

The door opened, and Finn and his friend stood suddenly from the hard plasteel berth they'd been sitting on.

"Hi," Rey said softly.

"You!" Finn scowled. "Go away, traitor."

BB-8 rolled into the cell and demanded to know what was going on.

"She's First Order, now," Finn spat. "She's the Supreme Leader's _Right Hand_."

The droid rotated his head to look at her and asked if this was true.

Rey stepped into the cell and closed the door behind her. "About that. I was hoping you could tell me exactly what that means, Finn?"

He made a disgusted sound. "He didn't even tell you when you swore yourself to him?"

Rey blinked, wondering how he knew. Then she realized it must be part of the title. "No, he didn't have time before General Hux showed up, and then you guys. Everything is happening so fast."

"No kidding!" Finn shouted. "Rey, he tried to _kill us_ , not that... wait... how long was I in recovery?" 

He looked to Rose, who shrugged. "It's been a little over a week since the Battle of Starkiller Base," she said faintly.

Finn turned back to her, his anger renewed. "A week, Rey! He tried to kill us a week ago!"

Rey took a deep breath. "He tried to kill _you_ a week ago, and he very nearly succeeded," she agreed. "And I'm sorry about that."

The former stormtrooper stared at her. "But... wait, what happened after I went down? Beebee-ate showed me vids of you on D'Qar, waiting with me while I was recovering."

Rey nodded. "Kylo Ren fought with me, but he wasn't trying to kill me. He... he offered to train me."

Finn sat down on the berth, hard. "And you _accepted_?"

"No," she tried not to clench her teeth. I defeated him, and gave him the..." she gestured to her face. "But I took him by surprise. If he'd really meant to kill me, I think he would have. Then Chewie showed up on the Falcon and we got you back to D'Qar before the planet blew up."

He stared at her for a moment. "Now I'm even more confused."

Rey sighed and sat down on the berth opposite Finn. Rose sat next to him and watched the two of them warily. Despite not having much to say, she seemed to be following the conversation closely.

"On Starkiller Base, Kylo tried to read my mind, like he did with Poe," she explained.

Finn inhaled sharply. "You're not helping his case," he growled.

"It didn't work. Instead, I pushed into _his_ mind," she admitted quietly. She hadn't even had the courage to tell Luke that.

He sat up straighter, and for the first time regarded her with fear.

"I didn't mean to," she said quickly. "It just... It happened. Then, when I went to Ach-To, I started having... visions, I guess? Only they weren't of the past or the future. They were in the present, wherever he was. He could see me too. Neither of us was controlling it. Snoke said he caused it, but... I don't think I believe him."

"What happened in the visions?" Rose asked. Finn looked out of his depth, but Rose was willing to accept the Force's mysterious ways without question.

"We... talked." She made a helpless gesture indicating the space between them. "Like this, only I was the one who was furious. I think I called him a murderous snake. I definitely called him a monster."

"And he explained why he wasn't?" Finn asked bitterly.

"No," she said softly. "No, he agreed with me."

There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence. Rey took a deep breath and began again. "He told me why he'd turned to the Dark. What happened the night he attacked Luke's temple. It was..." she sighed, trying to find the words, "... a terrible misunderstanding. Luke had a moment of poor judgment, and Ben jumped to conclusions. Both of them were wrong, but Ben was just a scared kid."

"He's not a scared kid now, Rey," Finn said firmly. "He killed Han Solo!"

"Yes, and it nearly destroyed him!" she shouted back. "Snoke made him believe it would make him stronger! Instead... he's a mess. He hasn't had time to process it. I think it could be the catalyst to turn him back to the light."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Listen, Rey, I've known Kylo Ren a lot longer than you. There's no light in him. Have you seen him throw one of his tantrums yet?"

Rey blinked. "I... tantrums?"

"Just wait until the first time he doesn't get his way," he promised. "You'll see what I mean. He'll lose it and destroy whatever's nearest with his lightsaber."

She tried to picture that. It wasn't hard. "I still have to try, Finn. If there's a chance to turn him, it could save the whole galaxy. I can't do that from a distance, even with the visions. I can save him, I've seen it."

The two friends locked eyes, at an impasse in the conflict of wills.

Rose broke the tension with a whisper. "You love him."

Both of them broke the staring contest to look at Rose incredulously. She shrugged. "It's all over your face."

Rey laughed nervously. "I... I barely know him..."

That brought a wry smile from the mechanic. "It doesn't take long." When Finn turned his accusing expression back on Rey, Rose glanced at him with a look he entirely missed.

"Is that true?" Finn asked.

"I don't know," Rey answered honestly, staring down at her hands.

"What _exactly_ did you pledge to him?" he asked suspiciously.

She felt her cheeks heating up, giving her away. "Everything," she whispered.

Finn stood and walked the few steps away the cell afforded them, and stared at the duristeel wall. "The rank he gave you hasn't been used since the days of the Empire," he said, suddenly changing the subject. "The Hand of the Emperor was supposed to be a secret designation, not public like yours seems to be. Each of them believed they were the only one, too, but there were oh... half a dozen at a time." He turned back around and looked down at her.

"If they were secret, then what was their purpose?" Rey asked.

"They were Force-sensitive, like you. Palpatine used them as assassins," he said bluntly.

The blood drained from her face, making her feel dizzy.

"Kylo Ren has a lot of titles," Finn went on. "Master of the Knights of Ren, Lord of the Sith, it goes on. Do you know what his favorite is?"

She shook her head, knowing she didn't want to hear it.

"Jedi-killer. Just like Darth Vader. But he's the Supreme Leader, now, so he probably won't have time for that little hobby," he said ominously. "Guess that's your job now."

Rey relaxed a fraction. "I doubt it. I'm not suicidal." He frowned and she spread her hands. "You're looking at the last Jedi."

Finn frowned. "Luke..."

"Has turned his back on the Force. He wants the Jedi order to die with him. He refused to train me when he found out how powerful I am," she admitted.

"Then how are you a Jedi?" Rose asked.

Rey looked a little sheepish. "There was a library on the island. Actual books, made out of vegetable pulp. The original Jedi texts, he told me. I stole them."

To her surprise, Finn smiled. "You _stole_ them?"

"Well, he wasn't going to use them!" she argued.

Shaking his head, Finn sat opposite her once more. "Have you read them?"

"A little, on the way here." Had that really only been this morning? It felt like an eternity. "They're kind of boring."

Rose chuckled. They sat in silence for a long moment, but much of the tension had drained from the room.

"I still think you're crazy," Finn said at length.

"Maybe I am," Rey said wearily. "But I have to try. It's the only way I can see to save the galaxy."

"By joining the First Order?" Rose asked with no little incredulity.

"By hijacking it. If I can change it from within, turn Ben, and make it something else, then maybe we can win without a war," she explained.

Rose nodded, but Finn didn't look convinced. "And what happens in the meantime?" he asked.

"Well, tomorrow you'll go down to the surface with a message from the Supreme Leader. Rose will stay here as collateral, but I'll make sure she stays safe. I seem to outrank everyone but Ben."

"And then?" he prompted.

She made a helpless gesture. "We take it one cycle at a time."

Finn rubbed his face. "It'll have to do. Better than getting executed."

"What does General Hux have against you, anyway?" Rey asked.

He gave a short laugh. "You mean, aside from going AWOL, stealing a TIE Fighter, betraying the First Order, killing dozens of stormtroopers, aiding in the destruction of Starkiller Base, impersonating an officer, and trying to sabotage the _Supremacy's_ hyperspace tracker?"

Rey couldn't help but smile. He'd had a busy couple weeks, too. "It seemed personal."

Finn nodded. "I'm the proof that his little training program isn't flawless. Him and his father Brendol Hux were responsible for the indoctrination program the First Order uses to turn little children into mindless killers." 

Rey swallowed, gaining an extra level of dislike for her new rival. "Good to know."

A comm signal sounded in the cell, making them all jump.

"Ma'am, are you alright in there?" a stormtrooper's modified voice asked.

"Yes, thank you," she said, and then winced. "I'll be done with my... interrogation soon," she promised.

The comm signaled off, and Finn shook his head. "You have no idea what you're doing, do you?" he asked.

Rey stood. "Not the slightest clue," she admitted. "I'll just have to trust the Force."

That prompted a wry smile from her friend. "I'm not sure that's how it works."

"Sure it is," Rose interjected, fingering a pendant she wore. "Let me know if you need anything, Rey. Not sure what I can do from here, but if you want my help, you've got it."

"Thanks," Rey said, truly grateful to the mechanic. "I should go."

"You should erase the recordings of this conversation," Finn suggested.

Rey blanched, unaware they were being recorded. "Yes. Of course." She approached the door, and it allowed her and BB-8 to exit. Finn leaned next to the open doorway, careful not to trip the alarm, and verbally walked her through the menus on the access panel.

"Thank you for understanding," Rey said just before she initiated the command.

"I don't understand," Finn said bluntly. "But I guess I'll just have to trust you."

She nodded. "May the Force be with you," she told him.

The computer chirped, letting her know the recordings had been deleted. Rey nodded to Finn and Rose, and the latter waved back. Then she keyed the door shut, and began to follow BB-8 for the long trek back to her quarters. She still felt overwhelmed, but at least Finn didn't completely hate her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A strange side effect of growing up in a household that watched both Star Wars and Star Trek is that I seem to think that all sci-fi computers should talk. Several chapters into writing this, I realized that none of the computers in Star Wars talk, and had to do some interesting rewriting.
> 
> I'm really loving writing this, and I've built up a considerable backlog! That gives me some more time to work on the illustrations, which seem to be really popular over on tumblr. You can see sneak peeks over there, but otherwise I'll see you next week!


	3. Promises Kept

BB-8 led Rey back to deck 438-C. Either Rey was getting used to the ship, or the droid had chosen a less circuitous route because it didn't seem to take nearly as long. They certainly passed a lot more people, all of whom saluted her as she passed. At first, it was unnerving, but after a while, the novelty wore off.

As they finally approached her quarters, Rey noticed that the light on the door next to hers had changed from red to yellow. Even without the indication that the room was occupied, she could feel Ben's presence beyond the duristeel walls. He seemed exhausted and a little upset. Had he expected her to be waiting for him when he got back?

For a moment Rey felt guilty, and then she got angry. _If he wanted me to wait here then he should have ordered me to_ , she thought bitterly. But the anger passed quickly, replaced with guilt once more. She had made a promise, and she couldn't blame him if he expected her to keep it.

BB-8 keyed the door to her room and rolled in, but she hesitated in the doorway. "You stay here, Beebee-ate, I need to talk to Ben," she said.

The droid gave a low whistle, warning her to be careful. Rey smiled. "I will."

She half expected that she would need to give her voice recognition code at Ben's door, but to her surprise it opened at her touch. Stepping inside, she looked around. The design was the same as hers, in reverse, and showed almost as few signs of habitation. Apparently, Ben wasn't much for decorating. _This isn't home for him_ , she realized, and wondered where it would be.

The sounds of a 'fresher running came from one of the narrow doors in the far wall, hinting as to where Ben had disappeared to. She sat on the edge of the bed and fought back a wave of nervousness. This was quickly followed by the vivid idea of joining him in the 'fresher - her heart beat a little faster at the thought - but she pushed it away quickly. It was best not to risk startling him, she reasoned.

Besides that, she wasn't sure she had the courage for it.

It wasn't long before the sounds ended, signaling that Ben would emerge soon. Taking a deep breath, Rey steeled herself and tried not to fiddle with the end of her gauze wrap.

The door hissed open, emitting a cloud of steam. Out of it walked Ben, shirtless, with a towel completely covering his head. He rubbed vigorously at his hair, and then threw the towel on the floor and ran his hands through the wet strands impatiently.

He seemed to notice her at the same instant she decided maybe she should say something. For a moment they stared at each other.

"Why are you here?" he asked at last. "Was there something wrong with your room?"  
Rey opened her mouth, closed it, and then tried again. "No, it's fine. I just..." Suddenly she felt like an idiot. "Never mind, it's stupid," she said quickly, standing and heading for the door.

Ben cut her off, moving to block her exit. "Tell me why you came here," he said. His voice was gentle, coaxing. He'd learned he couldn't force her to do something she didn't want to. But when he asked like that....

"I thought..." She glanced down from the expanse of his chest, away from the ragged snarl of the scar she had gouged into him. "You said you wanted me to pledge all of myself," she mumbled. "I thought... you meant..."

He drew in a sharp breath, and she glanced up to see the open surprise on his face. Clearly, she was wrong.

"I said it was stupid," she choked out, and tried to push past him.

He caught her wrist, holding her in a vice-like grip. She dared to look back up at him. His eyes roved over her, his breath quickening as he seriously considered the idea.

"When you made that pledge," he said slowly, "did you do it only to save your friends?"

Rey swallowed. She could feel him reaching out with his mind, testing to see if she would lie to him. Would he ever trust her, truly? "No, not only," she whispered.

Very slowly, as if to avoid frightening her, he lifted her wrist and placed a single kiss at the base of her palm. She couldn't breathe. "And you meant _all_ of you?"

Her eyelids slid shut. "That part wasn't difficult to pledge at all," she admitted, her cheeks heating up.

Ben pulled her wrist, turning her towards him. He stepped forward, and the space between them narrowed until it would take her less than a thought to lean in and touch him."Would you hate me, if I held you to that promise, then?"

She opened her eyes, and found her courage in the vulnerability plain on his face. "No, Ben. I can't hate you anymore."

Before she lost her nerve, Rey reached up and kissed him. She had to stand on her tiptoes, and for a moment he froze. Then she didn't need to bother, as his arms came around her and crushed her to him so tightly her feet lifted entirely off the floor. He devoured her, his mouth moving against hers, demanding more. She replied in kind, burying her hands in the wet curls of his hair and pulling him to her harder.

Ben took a few stumbling steps towards his bed, and then made a frustrated sound deep in his throat. Breaking their kiss, he bent down and put an arm behind her knees, and then lifted her up into his arms. Rey was struck by an odd sense of familiarity as he carried her to the bed and set her down gently.

When he hesitated, standing beside the bed, she reached up and pulled his arm, drawing him to her carefully. She couldn't explain why she needed him so badly, but she couldn't deny it either. He laid next to her; the narrow bed could barely hold both of them. Leaning over her, he kissed her again, softly this time, and then sat back to study her face, brushing a lock of hair from her forehead.

Rey's gaze was drawn to the line of his scar, to the way it scrawled across his pectoral muscle, and then up, over to his collarbone where it disappeared, reemerging at the edge of his jaw. She followed the path of it with her eyes, and then could no longer resist the urge to touch it.

He flinched. She knew he would, but she touched it anyway. He'd obviously spent a lot of time in the medbay where she had seen him getting it healed, but the wound was still fresh.

"I almost killed you," she murmured.

"You wanted to," he agreed. "I could feel it, could see it in your eyes."

"Why do you trust me now?" she asked.

Ben let out a breathless laugh. "Why do _I_ trust _you_? You're the one who came to the First Order capital in an escape pod. What were you thinking?"

She couldn't help but smile at that. "I had to see you. When we touched hands in the vision... I knew."

He leaned close, brushing his forehead against hers. "What did you see?"

"You. All of you. Us. Together," she whispered. "I don't know how to explain it. Only that it felt right."

Burying his face in her neck, he sighed deeply. "Yes." He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "I saw you at my side," he agreed. "And I felt at peace." He swallowed, and then pulled back to look her in the eye. "I wanted you since the first moment I set eyes on you on Takodana," he admitted.

Rey blinked rapidly. "I... I was terrified of you," she murmured.

"I know. I thought I wanted to take something from you, to break you and make you mine. But in the vision, I saw something else. Something I couldn't explain. Even then, I didn't think..."

She searched his eyes, trying to guess. "You didn't think I'd want you, like this?"

He nodded.

Biting her lip, Rey reached down and undid the clasp of her belt. Tugging on his arm, she took his hand and guided it up under her gauze wrap and the tunic below, and then down under the waistband of her pants. The sharp gasp when he felt the wetness of her arousal was almost as exhilarating as the feel of his fingers against her sensitive skin. She studied his face, his lips parted as his breath came quicker, pupils blown wide with desire, until he glanced back up at her, incredulous.

"I want you, Ben," she whispered, answering the unspoken question.

He moaned and captured her lips once more. He slid his free arm under her neck and shoulders, and used it to press her against him so he could kiss her harder. Meanwhile, he began to move his fingers against her slick folds cautiously. She guided him, showing him how she liked to be touched, and he picked it up quickly. Before long, she pulled her hand away so she could grip his arm, arching hard against his hand.

Soft moans began to escape from her throat, muffled by their kisses. Ben left her mouth to kiss a trail to her neck, where he licked a long stripe from collar to ear. She shuddered, and then whimpered as he pulled his hand away from her.

"You're wearing too much," he growled in response to her wordless complaint.

She agreed and began helping him remedy the situation, pulling off her wrap and jacket, taking the arm warmers along with. He dumped the tangle of fabric and leather over the edge of the bed, and she could hear the _clunk_ as the lightsaber hit the deck. She didn't care.

Her tunic presented a problem, on her back as she was. Ben's solution was to turn them so he was beneath her, and she sat up to straddle his hips. This proved a momentary distraction for Rey, who found herself pressed to the undeniable evidence that he wanted her too. She rocked her hips against his erection, which strained his leather pants.

Ben gasped, momentarily sidetracked from his task of undressing her. Instead, his hands locked on to her hips and pressed her down harder, grinding them together. She cried out softly at the sensation, and simply rode him for a moment, her eyes shut tightly against the surge of pleasure.

When she opened them once more, it was to see Ben watching her with eyes half-lidded, such heat in his gaze that she thought it would scorch her. This was the desire he had spoken of, the ungentle urge to make her his own. She felt his need, felt the Darkness in it, and was unafraid. What surprised her more was the unbidden response it elicited in her, the temptation to stoke that fire until it consumed her. 

Sitting up straight, she crossed her arms and pulled at the hem of her tunic, lifting it over her head. Ben's hands slid up her sides until his thumbs brushed the underside of her breasts.

"You are so beautiful, Rey." His voice was pained, as if the sight of her half-naked and riding him was almost too much.

Rey covered his hands with her own and pulled them up over her breasts, encouraging him to squeeze them tightly. She arched against his hands and moaned, making him curse softly. He yanked his hands away, pressing one against her back tightly before flipping her beneath him. He wasted no time in dipping his head to claim one pink nipple with his lips, scraping his teeth gently against the puckered skin.

She cried out, the sensation jolting her with pleasure. She began to scrabble at the waist of his pants, and he reached down to release the fastening, letting her push them over his hips. He released her nipple with a wet sound and then moved back to pull them the rest of the way off. She likewise shimmied out of her own, kicking off her boots. When both of them were naked, he slid his body against hers, skin to skin for the first time.

She felt tiny and vulnerable beneath the weight of him, suddenly conscious of how much larger than her he was. Then, with a shift of his hips, he rubbed the length of his cock against her folds, and took her breath away completely.

Gasping a few choice words in Huttese, she wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to pull him closer. "You feel so good, Ben. Please..."

He clutched her tightly and continued to grind against her. "I don't want to hurt you," he said through clenched teeth.

"Liar," she said softly. Turning her head, she licked the shell of his ear, and brushed her mind against his. "I know what you want. You want to take me, to push me until I almost break, to make me yours."

Pressing his forehead against her shoulder, he shuddered, his arms shaking as they held him up. "Rey..."

Sliding her hands into his still-damp hair, she tilted his head up so he would look at her. "I've already pledged myself to you, Ben," she whispered. "I'm all yours."

Ben made a strangled sound, and then pulled back just enough to press into her. He sank into her slowly, stretching and filling her with a delicious burn. She gasped, but when he hesitated she pressed her heels into the small of his back, pulling him deeper. After a long, torturous moment he bottomed out, their bodies flush once more.

They stayed like that for a small eternity, breathing in each other, reveling in the strange sensation of being whole for the first time. Rey kissed the line of the scar on his collarbone, and he turned his head, sliding his lips against hers. When they began to move, it was as one. The same strange feeling of connected isolation surrounded them that had come with the visions, the outside world dwindling until there was nothing but the rhythm of their pleasure.

Rey quickly grew frustrated with what little she could do on her back. She wanted more, wanted to give as good as she got. Sensing her desires, Ben turned them so she sat astride him once more, and then watched greedily as she picked a quicker pace, her breasts bouncing with each downward thrust. Reaching up, he cupped them, and then toyed with her nipples.

Moaning, she gripped his wrists, closing her eyes and riding him for a while. Then one of his hands released her breast and dipped lower, trailing along her stomach until his thumb brushed her oversensitive clit. She cried out and leaned forward, bracing both hands against his chest for support. Glancing up, she caught his gaze, which mesmerized her. They locked eyes as he stroked her, building her up higher and higher until she thought she couldn't stand it anymore.

When she looked away, he put two fingers beneath her chin and tilted it back up again. "Come for me, Rey," he said, voice hoarse.

Part of her balked at the audacity of the order. But she was almost there anyway and her body, eager to be obedient, complied. She let out a short, surprised cry, and clenched around him, shuddering. Her arms shook, and she collapsed against his chest.

Ben slowed his rhythm, letting her catch her breath. Her head swam, and she felt like she'd shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, each better than the last. When at last it cleared, Ben wrapped his arms around her tightly, one hand pressed against the small of her back.

"Hold on, sweetheart," he murmured against her hair.

Rey clutched him tightly as he began to thrust up into her, faster and harder, until she could barely breathe with the force of it. Just when she thought she couldn't take any more, he gave a strangled cry and arched his back, lifting them both off the bed. Rey managed to pull back just enough to watch his expression, the wide-eyed shock of his pleasure tugging at the tightness in her chest.

Then he collapsed, and for a long moment they both just breathed. Rey laid her head back down against his chest and listened to the thundering of his heart. He still held on to her tightly, as if she would escape, given the chance. It made her smile. Even if there were anywhere else in the galaxy she'd rather be - which there wasn't - she doubted she could walk as far as her own quarters right now.

 

After a while he seemed to realize she wasn't going to leave, and loosened his hold, stroking her hair gently. They stayed that way for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sex in the third chapter is an all-time record for me lol. Anima complex didn't have sex until chapter 40! I'm a big fan of the slow burn, but if TLJ taught me anything, it's that Rey is THIRSTY. So, this time around I'm doing the "emotional slow burn," and look forward to thoroughly torturing my babies in that capacity.


	4. Settling In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. The blizzard knocked out our internet and I'm currently using a friend's mobile hotspot because both my writing and my illustrations are all saved on my ancient laptop. Much apologies! This week's illustration on tumblr is my favorite thus far, though, and I'm currently working on a musical composition for the story!

Rey had just dozed off when the comm chirp jerked her back into awareness. She sat upright and nearly fell off the edge of Ben's bed. He caught her almost before she fell, his reflexes as sharp as ever. Or maybe she had been the only one sleeping.

"You need to get a bigger bed," she complained.

"I'll see what I can do," he replied with a sardonic smile.

The comm chirped again, and this time the computer informed them that it was an urgent message from General Hux. Ben sat up, cradling Rey in his lap, and ran one hand through his hair. "Accept audio only," he told the computer.

"Sorry to disturb you Supreme Leader," Hux said with a certain glee that indicated the opposite, "but long-range scanners indicate the _Raddus_ has finally run out of fuel and is adrift in space."

Kylo frowned. "Any life signs?"

"Just one, on the bridge. Life support is still running, and if she's smart she'll shut it down everywhere except the bridge and gain a couple hours," the General replied.

"She?" Ben glanced towards the comm unit, concern written on his features.

"Yes, sir. We believe Vice Admiral Holdo is currently piloting the _Raddus_."

Ben relaxed. "Holdo, hmm. I'm surprised she didn't go down with the _Ninka_."

"Our reports indicate she likely took command after her superiors were killed in the attack on the bridge," Hux explained.

"Right," Ben said softly. He looked completely lost, and Rey felt a wave of guilt roll off him like the breakers of Ach-To.

"What are your orders, sir?" Hux asked.

When he didn't respond, Rey moved into Ben's line of sight, catching his eye, and raised her eyebrows. "I have an idea," she mouthed silently.

He made a helpless gesture, and mouthed back, "Go ahead."

Rey took a deep breath. "If it is Vice Admiral Holdo, she could serve as a much more valuable hostage than the mechanic," she said aloud, trying to sound authoritative.

There was a long pause on the other end of the comm. "I would agree, my lady." His voice was strained, and Rey had to suppress a grin. "What do you suggest?"

That wouldn't do. "Take a couple ships with enough draw to tow the _Raddus_ back with tractor beams," she ordered. "Wait until life support has dropped out, and the Vice Admiral is unconscious. Then have troopers board the ship and retrieve her. Keep her sedated in the medbay until I am able to speak with her."

Another pause on the comm, and then Hux asked, "Do you approve, Supreme Leader?"

Rey felt every muscle in Ben's body clench beneath her. "I have already made it clear that orders from the Right Hand are to be considered the same as mine. You have your orders. Do not make me explain it a third time," he growled.

"Of course, Supreme Leader. My lady, your orders will be carried out immediately," he promised, sounding less than thrilled.

For once, Rey didn't have the urge to say 'thank you.' 

Ben ended the comm and laid back down, sighing. "Thank you," he said, echoing her thoughts. "I drew a blank."

She put a hand on his chest and rubbed his skin near the scar gently. "You're tired. You should sleep." Sliding off the edge of the bed, she began to dress, pulling on her pants and shirt. "The galaxy will still be there to rule in the morning."

He lifted his head to glare at her and then reached out to bury a hand in her hair, pulling her down for a fierce kiss. "None of it would matter without you by my side," he told her gravely once he let her go.

Rey spent a moment struggling to catch her breath and her balance and then kissed him back softly. She couldn't find the words for what she was feeling, so she simply reached for him in the Force, holding out her hand as she had in the last vision. He took it cautiously, and she felt the same rush of emotions echo back from him. Gratitude. Fear. Affection. Anxiety.

Standing up, she smiled a little, collected the rest of her clothes, and left to take her own advice.

As soon as the door to her quarters closed, BB-8 trundled out from behind the bed. He took one look at the tangle of fabric and leather in her hands and made a rude comment suggesting that her 'talk with Ben' must have gone well.

Rey was entirely too tired to handle sass from a droid. She dumped the clothes on the table, chucked her boots into a corner, and flopped down onto the bed. Wriggling her way under the thin blanket, she had only a moment to appreciate that this was perhaps the cleanest bed she'd ever slept in before she lost consciousness completely.

 

* * *

 

Rey wasn't sure how long she slept. When she woke up, she felt rested but stiff and sore. She argued to herself that it was from the fight with the Praetorian guards, but knew that it was more than that.

BB-8 had found a charging port and was plugged in and on standby mode. Most droids would have powered up when she got out of bed, but this one didn't bother - the digital equivalent of a cold shoulder, she supposed. She stood, staring down at him, and shook her head. "Sixty portions," she muttered. 

The thought of food made her stomach growl, and she turned to the meal prep station on the wall. She activated it and found a dizzying array of foods on offer. Opting for something simple, she selected one of the protein pastes at the beginning of the list, a simple baked carbohydrate, and a tall metal cylinder of water. All of it was relatively flavorless, except the paste which seemed somewhat meaty. Pleasant enough, for her standards, and filling to boot. She drank half of the water and set the rest aside for later.

She checked her comm unit and found a written message that Amilyn Holdo had been retrieved from the _Raddus_ and was now in the medbay. As per her orders, the Vice Admiral was sedated, but scans indicated she had recovered enough from mild hypothermia and oxygen deprivation that she could be easily roused. Rey sent back a response that she would visit the medbay shortly, and then took a look at herself.

Her clothes were dirty, torn from the fight and wrinkled from their time on the deck in Ben's quarters. She smelled like sweat, which she was used to, and sex, which she was not. On Jakku it wouldn't have mattered. In the sterile confines of the _Supremacy_ , she felt like the dirty scavenger she was.

Trying one of the narrow doors on the back bulkhead of her quarters, she found a closet stocked with First Order uniforms in approximately her size. She set out a white undershirt and a pair of greenish-gray pants, and then tried the second door. This proved to be a very small 'fresher unit, featuring a toilet with a tiny sink just above it and the 'fresher itself barely large enough for someone like Ben to stand in. 

For her, it was plenty roomy and represented an almost unheard of luxury. She stripped out of her clothes and then studied the control panel. There were options for traditional sonics, but she found herself unable to resist the temptation to try the water. As soon as she pressed the button it came rushing down, startling her. It wasn't as cold as the rain on Ach-To, but there was much more of it, and she was naked. Blinking away the rivulets running down her face, she found the temperature control and turned it all the way up.

Suddenly, she felt as if it were lava pouring down on her, not water. She shoved the control back down and was rewarded with an equally icy deluge. Teeth chattering, she gently adjusted the knob until it was a comfortable warmth. When she stopped shivering and finally relaxed, she nearly moaned with the pleasure of it. Wisps of steam curled around her as years of oil and dirt drained away. 

She lost track of time, and then suddenly felt guilty as she realized how many gallons of water she'd probably wasted. A nozzle in the control panel dispensed neutral-smelling soap, and she scrubbed it all over her body. She released her hair from the last of the ties and washed that, too.

Cleaner than she'd probably ever been, she turned off the water and reached for the towel that hung on the wall above the sink. She rubbed herself down vigorously and tried to squeeze all of the water out of her hair. Outside the 'fresher, the air of her quarters felt chilly, and she rushed to dress, layering her gauze wrap and arm warmers over the officer's clothing. Lastly, she went to run her fingers through her hair and work out the worst of the knots...

...Only to discover that it was hopelessly tangled. She sighed, sitting down on her bed. It had taken her almost half an hour to work her way through the mess after she'd jumped down the hole on Ach-To, and she'd only been in the water for a few moments. Her frustration rose as she struggled to find even a good starting point to work from.

The door chimed, and BB-8 suddenly powered up, disengaged from the charging port, and hid behind the bed. Rey went to the access panel, but knew who was on the other side before she even got there. The door opened to reveal the Supreme Leader, looking perfectly composed and coiffed. She almost snorted.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "You felt... troubled."

Rey huffed and walked back into her quarters, letting him follow her. "My hair got completely tangled in the 'fresher," she grumbled. "And I don't have a comb."

Ben calmly walked to the small door that led to her closet and opened a compartment in the bulkhead next to it. Inside were a variety of simple grooming tools, and he extracted the comb. When he turned around, he caught sight of BB-8 cowering in the corner.

"Is that...?" he murmured.

"Yes. He came on board with Finn and Rose. I found him waiting for me in here when I first came in." She tried to snatch the comb away as a distraction.

He held it out of her reach and then moved to stand behind her. She tried to turn, but then felt the gentle tug of the tines on the ends of her hair. "I can do it myself," she insisted.

"I know," he said simply, and continued to work on the snarls. He was quiet a long moment, and Rey finally realized that he seemed a little upset, too.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"You didn't tell me about the droid, or that you went to the brig yesterday," he said softly.

If he had been angry at her, if he had yelled, she would have defended herself. But he didn't, and it made her feel all the more guilty. "I had to explain things to Finn," she said, just as gently. "BB-8 helped me find the brig and my way back here. I would have gotten lost otherwise."

"But you didn't tell me," he pointed out.

She turned a little, and he stopped combing her hair for a moment. "We had more important things to discuss," she murmured with a small smile. From the corner, she heard BB-8 let out a small, disgusted _blat_.

Leaning down, Ben drew in a deep breath near her ear, smelling her hair. "Fair enough," he murmured, and kissed the side of her neck. Straightening, he went back to work on her tangles. She was surprised to realize he was nearly halfway through. "I sent Finn down to the surface with a message," he told her, "letting them know that I have Admiral Holdo in custody and I'm willing to accept their unconditional surrender."

Rey snorted. "I bet that will go over great. What about Rose?"

"She's still in the brig. Holdo is a better hostage, but the mechanic is more effective to motivate Finn," he explained.

She frowned, understanding his logic but not liking it. "How many of their allies have shown up?"

"None," he responded.

This time she turned all the way around. "I thought you ordered the signal not to be jammed."

"I did. The signal went out and was received at several points. No one responded." He seemed caught between triumph and pity.

"That's... depressing but convenient," she sighed. He turned her around once more and tackled the last of the knots.

"I need you to report to me after you've spoken with Admiral Holdo," he told her, gently reminding her that he was still in charge.

"Of course," she replied easily.

"Any questions before you go?" he suggested.

She thought about it. "Am I not supposed to say 'thank you' to subordinates?" 

He let out a breath of a laugh. "It's not standard, but there's no rule against it."

"Okay. Everyone calls me ma'am except General Hux. Why?"

"Hux is giving you the equivalent of my former title. It's more formal and indicates a higher rank," he explained.

Rey frowned. It didn't seem like he was trying to flatter her. "Which one is correct?"

"My lady is likely the correct address," he said. He set down the comb and began to run his fingers through her now-untangled hair, separating it into sections and pulling them gently. His motions felt easy and confident - he'd done this before, often. "Ma'am is just the equivalent of sir and conveys no special rank beyond officer. But it's up to you. Your role as my Right Hand has yet to be fully defined."

Trying not to get distracted by guessing what it was that Ben was doing with her hair, she frowned. "Finn said the Hand was an old Imperial title for the Emperor's assassins."

"That's true. But it is what I say it is, and that's up to you." He pulled a hair tie from the compartment and wrapped it around her hair at the nape of her neck. That done, he pulled a small mirror from the compartment and handed it to her. 

Looking at her reflection, at first she thought he had replicated her original style of three small buns. her hair had been pulled back in three places. But when she turned her head to the side and felt it with the fingertips of her free hand, she realized he had instead braided the hair into one cable and then looped it. The effect was more elegant and tidy.

"Thank you," she said softly, thoroughly impressed. She wanted to ask where he'd learned to do that, but sensed the same grief from the night before, and that it might dredge up painful memories. "I'll think about what I want my role to be and get back to you," she promised.

"Good. For now, I'll instruct that you be addressed as my lady, if nothing else to save General Hux's pride," he gave her a half-smile.

"Oh?" she asked.

"He's probably mortified to be outranked by a mere _ma'am_ ," he explained.

That made her grin.

"Shall I accompany you to the medbay?" he asked.

"No, I'll take BB-8. I want things to be as comfortable and familiar for Holdo as possible when she wakes up. To help ensure her cooperation," she explained quickly. "And I'm sure you have a lot to do," she added for good measure.

"Of course," he replied. He seemed to sense her true motive but said nothing. "Be mindful around Holdo," he advised her. "She's rather... unconventional."

With that, he took his leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week's illustration on tumblr is my favorite thus far, I really feel like I'm getting back in the hang of pencil sketching. With the internet being down this weekend, I had a lot of time to plunk around on my piano, and I've finally found the connection between Rey and Kylo's themes that I've been searching for for about two years lol. Now that I've figured it out, I'm currently working on a musical composition for the story! I was a little disappointed that TLJ didn't have a more developed theme for Kylo, or something that might be construed as a Reylo theme (although I knew the latter was a lot to hope for) so I'm trying to write it as John Williams-y as possible so it feels like it fits right in. Let me know if you're interested in hearing it and I'll post something over on tumblr.


	5. Girl Talk

Rey watched as the med droid administered a stimulant to counteract the sedative in Admiral Holdo's system. At first, nothing happened, but then the woman began to shift, her violet-coiffed head turning against the pillow. 

"Admiral Holdo?" Rey asked softly.

Holdo opened her eyes, squeezed them shut, and then blinked up at her myopically. "Leia?" she croaked.

"No, I'm Rey," she replied, reaching out for a container of water on the bedside stand. "Here, drink some of this."

Holdo sipped carefully at the water, and then cleared her throat. Gazing up at Rey, she frowned a little, and then gave a breathy laugh. "I'm sorry. You looked like Leia - she used to wear her hair like that."

Rey sat back and closed her eyes for a moment. _Of course_. She had a sudden image, almost a vision, of a young Ben Solo sitting atop the back of a couch, braiding his mother's hair while she studied a senate dossier.

"So you're the Rey that all the fuss is about," Holdo said, her voice gently teasing.

She opened her eyes again. "Fuss?"

"Oh, yes, Finn almost deserted because of you. And then they mutinied. Tell me Rey, what's your birthday?" All of this was conveyed in the same lighthearted tone.

"My... my birthday? I don't know," she admitted. What was she talking about, mutiny?

The Vice Admiral frowned. "How can you not know your birthday?"

Rey glanced down at her hands. "My parents..." she tried to find the words, choking on them. _My parents sold me for drinking money and didn't bother to tell me._

"You're an orphan?" Holdo guessed.

Rey nodded. It was simpler, and probably true at this point.

The older woman sighed. "A lot of that in the galaxy these days. You're from Jakku, right?" she paused for confirmation. "Well, you don't need to know what star you were born under to know you're as tough as duristeel and twice as stubborn."

Smiling, Rey thought she knew what Ben had meant when he said Holdo was "unconventional." She guessed that Leia had been friends with the Admiral, and Ben had likely met her at some point. 

"How did I get here?" Holdo seemed to be coming more clearly to her senses and was looking around the room.

"We got to you just after the life support dropped out," Rey said honestly. "You're in the medbay."

That obviously didn't convince the Admiral. "The medbay on what ship? This doesn't look like the _Raddus_. It doesn't look like any of the Resistance ships."

Rey sighed. "That's because it's not. We're on the _Supremacy_ , but I can assure you, we're safe."

Holdo looked non-plussed. "Safe on old man Snoke's ship doesn't seem likely." She tried to gesture and discovered that she had been restrained.

That almost got a smile. "Snoke is dead."

"And, what, they made you Supreme Leader?" Holdo obviously wasn't buying it. She gently tested the reinforced fabric restraints for a moment but made no real attempt to break free.

"No, not me..." Rey tried to think of how to explain it.

Holdo suddenly stopped the inspection of her surroundings and looked back to Rey sharply. "Kriff. Leia's boy?" she collapsed back against the berth.

Rey was so shocked by the idea of someone referring to Kylo Ren as _Leia's boy_ that she didn't respond.

"Ha," Holdo said after a moment. "She always warned him to stay out of politics."

"Why?" Rey asked.

Holdo shook her head. "Too much like his Father. And grandfather, on her side. Too sensitive in the Force. And his birth chart is all wrong for it - he's a Tyrilax, they're all impulse and think with their hearts."

Rey had no idea what Holdo meant by Ben's 'birth chart,' but it sounded like a fairly accurate description of him.

"If Leia made it to the surface, she's going to have a good laugh when she hears about this," Holdo said fondly.

"If she made it to the surface?" Rey asked. "I thought she died in the attack on the bridge of the _Raddus?_ " At least that's what she'd assumed based on Ben's grief.

Holdo smiled. "Oh, a little spacewalk isn't more than a temporary inconvenience for one of the legendary Skywalkers," her eyes twinkled at the joke. "I took command while she was recovering. She was in one of the transports, I saw her get on. How many made it down?" she asked.

"Fourteen," Rey answered solemnly. The odds were decent she'd been too late anyway.

Holdo took a deep breath and then released it. "Not even half," she murmured. "Still, Leia's always beaten the odds. Why did they stop firing, anyway? The transports were sitting ducks, once the cloaking was ruined."

Rey chewed on her lip a little. "I convinced Ben to order it."

That made the Admiral raise her eyebrows. "And why exactly would the new Supreme Leader listen to you?"

"I... that is... Ben and I... We've become connected through the Force somehow. That's why I came here. After we had killed Snoke and his guards, he asked me to join him. I agreed, on the condition that he spare the Resistance."

The look of incredulity on Holdo's face deepened, and she tried to sit up, forgetting her restraints for a moment. "And he accepted? I'm surprised your allegiance was that important to him."

Heat began to flood Rey's cheeks, and she glanced away. "The connection... the bond that we have is... I don't really understand it," she admitted, trying to find the right words. "But I knew I had to come here, to save him. And he knew I was coming, and that I would join him."

Holdo examined her carefully with a new, softer expression of surprise. "Oh," she said simply, as if that had explained everything. "So you're his... consort?" she guessed.

Rey didn't bother to deny it. "My formal title is the Right Hand of the Supreme Leader, but we haven't really defined what that means yet."

"Well, what do you want it to mean?"

Once again, the directness of her question surprised Rey. "I don't know," she admitted. 

Holdo thought about that for a moment and then sighed. "I assume since I'm still alive that I'm being held hostage?" she mused.

Rey nodded.

"Under what conditions?"

"Unconditional surrender of the Resistance," Rey said.

"And that of our allies?" Holdo elaborated.

"No," Rey shook her head. "We allowed the distress signal to go out, but no one has responded."

Holdo's lips pressed into a thin line. "Damn."  She stared up at the ceiling for a long time and then turned her head to examine Rey thoroughly. "Let me out of these restraints and I'll help you," she said at last.

Rey was suspicious, so she reached out to feel if Holdo was lying. The Admiral still had some tricks up her sleeve, but in this, she was being honest. She wanted to help.

"Why?" Rey asked, but pushed the button to release the Admiral.

"You have managed to land yourself in a position of great power in the First Order," she explained, "Which now appears to have the majority of the galaxy in its grip. You also seem like a good person, so you're more likely to use that power as a means to make things better for others, rather than your own personal gain." Holdo tried to sit up and then seemed to think better of it. Looking around, she found the controls for her medical berth and elevated the upper portion so she could sit up with support. 

Rey handed her the container of water, and Holdo took it and sipped it slowly while Rey chose her next words carefully. "I don't think anyone can destroy the First Order, right now."

Holdo nodded. "Looks that way."

"What if..." Rey glanced at the medical droids around her. She could wipe the recordings later, she decided. "What if instead of trying to defeat it, we change what it is? From the inside."

"That's what I'm talking about," the Admiral agreed. "So I'll ask you again, what do you _want_ your role to be? Co-Leader?"

Rey frowned. "I don't think that's an option. Not that Ben would necessarily object, but I'm a nobody to everyone else. It's hard enough that Ben's taken over so suddenly, better that we stick with whatever right to succeed he's managed to claim."

Holdo set the water aside. "Alright. Adviser then? Enforcer?"

"Maybe a little of both," Rey said slowly, an idea blossoming in her mind. "I could be... someone who makes sure that everyone in the First Order is following the rules. Rules I make, or have Ben make, to improve things. That way everyone still has to answer to me, but I still ostensibly answer to Ben."

"That could work. But you would need to command a lot of respect," Holdo argued.

Rey made a helpless gesture. "I have no idea how to do that," she admitted. "I keep saying 'thank you' to my subordinates," she laughed.

Holdo smiled. "We can work with that. Empathy and a sense of personal connection can breed loyalty, Leia's a shining example of that. But you're going to need a more impressive wardrobe."

Rey glanced down at her cobbled-together outfit. "Why?"

Holdo shrugged. "Most species are wired to judge others by their appearance, whether they like it or not. If you _look_ like someone who should be respected, people will find it easier to respect you."

"Like a uniform?" Rey scrunched up her nose, trying to imagine herself in jodhpurs and a cap like Hux's.

"Uniforms have the same effect, but you're going to be something outside the system, above it. You'll need something elegant and striking, but simple and recognizable. Personally, I like to go for the unexpected," she smiled, gesturing to her wavy violet hair. 

Rey gazed doubtfully at the Vice Admiral. Even in a hospital gown, she looked elegant and graceful. "I come from a desert planet. I've never owned any clothes that weren't purely functional. I haven't the first idea what you're talking about."

Holdo sighed. "I'm sorry. I suppose I come from a very different background, don't I? But it's my world you're going to be living in now." She tapped a finger against her lips. "If I were you, I think something feminine and formal would do the trick. A long dress. White, or gold. Regal, but not ostentatious."

"Doesn't sound like something you can fight in," Rey argued.

Holdo laughed. "You'd be surprised. Just make sure the skirt is full and the fabric's not too heavy. You'll be fine."

Rey shook her head, and it struck her how surreal the conversation was. Her political hostage was giving her fashion advice. "Where would I even get something like that?"

The admiral made a palms-up gesture. "The Supreme Leader, of course. His predecessor had a reputation for appreciating the finer things. Surely there's some mechanism in place to serve such needs."

 _Good point_. Rey thought about it, leaning back on her start. It was a start, anyway. "Do you want to talk with the Resistance, find out if Leia made it?" Rey asked.

Holdo nodded. "I'll see if I can't convince the stubborn old girl, now that we have someone on the inside." She gave Rey a cheeky smile.

"I'll have to check with Ben, but I think he'll agree. And I'll see if I can get a dress. Is there anything you need?" Rey asked, slipping off her stool.

The Admiral glanced down and picked at the hospital gown she was wearing. "I could use a dress, too," she said teasingly.

"Of course. I'll also see if I can get you confined to quarters once the med droids release you, rather than throwing you in the brig," she offered.

"That won't be necessary," Holdo said proudly. "The brig will do just fine. I don't think I'll be here long, anyway."

Rey shrugged. "Suit yourself." She reached out a hand to the Admiral, who took it. "And thank you for helping me."

"Not a problem. You seem like you're a little in over your head," she observed.

"You could say that," Rey agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm kind of guessing on Holdo's personality based on just the movie and Wikipedia. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to read Claudia Gray's "Leia" yet. But I also figure she's probably a little loopy from the sedative/stimulant cocktail. 
> 
> I did, however, just finish the TLJ novelization. I'm very happy to have discovered that I was pretty close to the mark on everything, there wasn't anything that I felt necessitated changes to this story. The only major discrepancy is that in the movie/novelization only 6 transports made it to the surface of Crait. But I figure Rey talked Ben into calling off the attack much earlier, so the math works out.
> 
> The Reylo love theme composition is coming along nicely, I just need to flesh out the orchestration in a couple places. I'm hoping I'll have something for you guys to listen to next week on tumblr. Granted, it's going to be crappy synthesized stuff, but still. I'm excited!


	6. The First Fight

Once Rey had wiped the records of her conversation with Holdo from the _Supremacy_ 's database, she queried the system to see where Ben was currently located. It appeared he was in a conference room in one of the administration decks, so she asked BB-8 if he could lead her there.

The droid beeped a simple affirmative, and then trundled off. Rey frowned, not sure why the little droid was being so unfriendly. Even Finn had been more understanding. She wondered if something was wrong with his programming.

Fortunately, the medbay was centrally located and the administrative levels weren't far away. Before long, they arrived at the appointed door. Rey wasn't surprised to find it locked, but _was_ surprised to find it wouldn't open for her. The console flashed a warning: "Clearance Level 9 required." 

She requested to know what her own clearance level was. The resulting reply was Level 8.

"Who has Level 9 then?" she demanded, frustrated.

The computer displayed the obvious answer: Supreme Leader Kylo Ren.

"Oh." Sighing, Rey leaned against the wall next to the door. BB-8 rolled to sit next to her and tilted his head up.

_What is he thinking?_ she wondered. She tried reaching out in the Force but found nothing more than the buzz of electrical energy running through circuits. Of course. Sometimes she forgot that droids weren't living creatures.

"Lady Rey?" A voice surprised her, and she looked up to see that a Lieutenant had exited the conference room. "The Supreme Leader asks that you join us," she told her. "The droid must remain outside."

"Thank you," Rey smiled, trying to cover the fact that she'd been startled. She looked to BB-8, who swiveled his head away from her, still sulking. Sighing, she followed the Lieutenant into the conference room. A long black table that shone with polish was surrounded by a variety of First Order officers whose names she couldn't remember. 

Ben turned to the man sitting at his right. "Admiral?" he said quietly.

The man scrambled to pick up his materials and vacated the seat, taking instead the one the Lieutenant had left, leaving her to stand at attention behind him.

Feeling intensely awkward, Rey took the open seat. It was still warm, and she resisted the urge to cringe.

"You have completed your interrogation of Vice Admiral Holdo?" he asked.

She nodded. "Would you like me to give my report now?"

He smiled. "Please."

Rey glanced around the room, scrambling for a way to word things for this particular audience. "Admiral Holdo has suffered no ill effects from her capture, and is in a cooperative mood," she said simply.

"Oh?" The Supreme Leader steepled his fingers, intrigued.

"When she learned that no allies had responded to the request for aid, she agreed that unconditional surrender was the only viable option," she explained.

Around the table, there were smug smiles and the occasional release of a held breath.

"Excellent," Ben seemed pleasantly surprised. "As ranking officer, her acceptance will suffice. The Resistance is no more."

Rey made a face. "Actually... she may not be the ranking officer. She is willing to communicate with her superior, provided they survived, and convince them to surrender."

"Who is left that outranks her?" Ben demanded, frowning.

Closing her eyes, Rey took a deep breath. She had hoped to convey this information in private, but there was no way around it. "General Organa appears to have recovered from the attack on the bridge of the _Raddus_ and was last seen by Admiral Holdo boarding one of the transports. Provided that transport made it to the surface of Crait, she would be the ranking officer."

Everything had gone very, very still in the room. Rey wasn't sure if the members of the First Order were aware of Ben's relation to Leia, but it hardly mattered. The dark energy rolling off him was enough to make even the most Force-blind person clench up.

"This meeting is dismissed," he growled quietly.

At first, no one moved, too paralyzed by his anger.

"Ben?" Rey asked softly.

"Get out!!" he screamed, banging his fist against the table.

Rey jumped, along with no few of the officers. There was a panicked rush for the door, as dossiers and datapads were abandoned in an effort to clear the room as quickly as possible. Within moments, she was alone with Ben. 

He stared into the reflections in the table, his breathing accelerating rapidly. His grip on the edges was so strong that she thought she heard it creak.

"Ben?" she asked again, reaching out a hand.

"Don't EVER call me that in front of ANYONE!" he shouted at her, jerking away from her touch. "Ben Solo is dead! I killed him years ago!"

Rey scowled right back at him. "You can't pretend you're not who you are, _Ben_ ," she spat. "You may want to kill the past, but even if it's dead that doesn't erase it!"

He shoved away from the table violently, toppling his chair. Yanking hers towards him, he leaned down, putting his hands on the arms and trapping her in it. "Is that so, _Rey_? Is that the name _your_ parents gave you? Or just what you told people was your name so they wouldn't call you _that dirty scavenger girl_?" he hissed in her face.

The tears escaped her eyes before she could stop them. _How did he know?_

He stilled, and then made a frustrated, wordless sound and pushed away from her, rocking the chair. He drew his lightsaber and ignited it, and she reached for her own in a panic. Before she could light it, though, he began to hack away at the beautiful conference table.

"My! Name! Is! Kylo! Ren!!" He screamed, punctuating each word with a slash through the table, leaving smoldering chunks of plasteel in his wake.

Rey was assaulted by the feel of electricity coursing through her body. For a moment she thought Ben was doing it, using the same lightning that Snoke had, but the feeling was distant, a memory. _Ben's_ memory. She saw it clearly, his body wracked with pain, as he struggled to say the words he was commanded to. _My name is Kylo Ren! Ben Solo is dead! I killed him!_

The vision ended, leaving Rey with a sense of detachment. She still felt the echoes of Ben's pain, his anger swirling around the room, but it was separate from her. She was at peace, cradled by the Force. Standing, she put her lightsaber away and walked towards Ben. Carefully, lightly, she placed a hand on his back, feeling it rise and fall as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Did you choose that name?" she asked softly.

He extinguished his lightsaber and collapsed against the remaining half of the table. She crouched next to him. His back began to shake, and it took her a moment to realize he was barely suppressing sobs. Reaching up, she gently brushed his curls back and saw what he had hidden behind the mask for years. His face was streaked with tears, and he gasped for breath.

"Did you choose the name Kylo Ren?" she repeated.

"No," he whispered. "But I chose to _be_ Kylo Ren. I can't go back to being Ben."

"Okay." She reached behind her for one of the chairs that was still standing, and it drifted into her grip without her looking. She sat on it, leaning her head on the table next to his. "Do you want me to stop calling you Ben all the time?" she asked.

He closed his eyes. "No."

She smiled. He wasn't completely lost. "Alright. I can remember to call you Kylo Ren in public," she promised.

He opened his eyes once more, narrowing them. Pushing himself slowly up from the table, he ran a gloved hand over his face, wiping away the tears. "That's it?" he asked, his breath hitching. 

Rey sat up and shrugged. "It seems like it's really important to you," she explained. "If it means that much, I'll call you anything you like."

Turning, he sat hard on the table, and she could see that he was shaking. She got up and stood in front of him, smoothing back the hairs that were stuck to his face and kissing his forehead softly.

"I thought you would fight me more," he gave a watery chuckle.

She smiled. "I had some forewarning," she admitted. "Finn called them temper-tantrums. Seems like you have a reputation." And a good thing, too, as it gave them some much-needed privacy.

He scowled, looking away. "They're not temper-tantrums," he said sullenly.

It would have made her laugh under other circumstances. "No, they're not," she agreed instead.

He looked at her, still doubtful of her acceptance.

Sighing, she rested her hands on his shoulders. "A lot of the old traders and scavengers on Jakku used to be Stormtroopers in the days of the Empire," she explained. "Something very wrong happened on Jakku towards the end of the Civil War. Nobody's sure what except the survivors, who don't talk about it. It left scars you couldn't see, twisted them. Sometimes, something would happen that reminded them of that time. Just a phrase someone said, or something startling them. They would go off on whatever was nearby, destroying it in a rage."

Ben still didn't seem to buy it, so she opened her mind to him, offering up her memories. She showed him a trader who had been surprised by the unexpected sound of a blaster going off, and had proceeded to pummel a moisture vaporator with his bare hands, punching it until his skin was tattered and you could see the bones. The whole time he seemed to be yelling at someone who wasn't there.

He inhaled sharply, and then let out a shaky breath. "I see." 

"So," she said gently. "Why did finding out Leia might be alive set you off?"

Swallowing thickly, he closed his eyes. "I didn't take the shot," he murmured. "During the initial attack on the _Raddus,_ I lined it up, but then... I could _feel_ her there. I knew she could feel me, too, she always could. And she just... accepted it. She wasn't angry. But I couldn't push the button."

"But then..." Rey frowned.

"One of my escorts fired," he said blankly. "I felt her get pulled out into the void, Rey. Felt her mind go blank." There was more, she could sense, things he couldn't say. 

He thought he had felt her death.

"Holdo made some joke about spacewalks," she said, shaking her head. "Said it wasn't a challenge for your family."

Ben groaned and leaned forward to rest his head on her shoulder. "Of course." Rey waited, feeling he would explain if she gave him time. "She's very sensitive to the nuances of the Force, but she's never been able to consciously control it. She's tried, U--" he choked on the word, then tried again, "Luke tried to teach her. But there have been moments.... When it really matters, the Force comes naturally to her. She must have pulled herself back into the ship." 

Rey tried to process the impossibility Ben had just stated so matter-of-factly. No wonder Holdo had made a joke. It could hardly be believed. "Okay. So she didn't die. That's good, right?"

He raised his head. "If her transport was destroyed..." 

"Can you try to sense her again?" she suggested. 

"Not right now," he sighed. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in tighter. "Right now all I want to feel is you," he murmured into her hair.

Rey felt a hitch in her chest at his words, and rush of warmth flooded her, the first flush of desire. What did it say about her, she wondered, that this man could make her cry and then five minutes later make her want him so easily? But all she said was, "Here?"

"Why not?" he pulled back, a lazy smirk on his face. "The door is locked, and even if it wasn't, no one is coming in here."

"Fair enough," she murmured.

Standing up, he turned them around and gently moved her to sit, and then lay on the table. Rey bit her lip, she couldn't believe they were actually doing this, but it made her heart pound and she wanted it so badly. Ben reached up and tugged at the waist of her pants, and she propped up her hips to let him pull them down, and then kicked off her boots so he could take them the rest of the way off.

That accomplished, he knelt in front of the table, moving her legs so they rested on his shoulders. Rey lifted her head and was about to ask what he was doing, but then he pushed aside her gauze wrap and kissed the inside of her thigh.

She gasped at the shiver of pleasure his lips sent through her, and let her head fall back to the table. He made his way slowly towards her center, kissing and licking as he went. When at last he closed his mouth around the sensitive bundle of nerves, she nearly cried out.

Pulling back, he flicked his tongue against her, once, twice. She scrabbled for a grip on the table and found none, struggling to stay silent.

"This room is soundproofed," he murmured, and the feel of his voice against her skin was so exquisite that for a moment she didn't even register the meaning of his words. "And I want to hear you scream."

A thin sheen of sweat broke out all over her body. When he bent his head to his task once more, she didn't try to hide her moan of appreciation. He worked her carefully, methodically, finding which things she liked, which made her squirm. When the novelty of his tongue had worn off, he slid one finger into her slowly. The feel of it was so deliciously strange, and she realized he hadn't taken his gloves off.

Before long, she felt herself begin to reach the edge of her climax, and she dug her heels into his back in encouragement. "Oh, Ben, yes, please," she gasped a litany of begging.

In answer, he crooked the finger within her at just the right moment, pulling the trigger that ignited her. She cried out, arching against the slick table. 

As she came down from her high, she heard the sound of Ben unbuckling his belt and dropping it to the floor. He stood, keeping her legs against him until it was her ankles rather than her knees about his shoulders. Reaching up, he pulled the gauze wrap off of her shoulders, and then pulled open her shirt, squeezing her breasts in greedy handfuls. When she began to moan, he released her. Opening the front of his pants, he slipped out his cock and laid it against her heated, slick flesh. 

She made a keening sound and tried to wiggle against him, but he held her hips stationary. She felt vulnerable, exposed as he stared down at her. The bastard still had his cape on and everything.

"Please," she whispered.

He gave her a cruel smile that made her shiver, and she wasn't sure if it was in pleasure or fear. "Please, who?" he asked.

Rey swallowed, knowing she had exactly one chance to get this right. It wasn't hard to guess, though, the lust rolling off him thick with darkness. The feel of it washing over her made her toes curl. 

"Please, Kylo," she asked clearly. "I want you."

He let out a sigh of pleasure and pressed into her in one thrust. She was still a little sore from the night before, and bit her lip hard to keep from crying out. Leaning forward, Kylo gripped her chin and kissed her hard, pulling her bottom lip into his mouth and biting it himself. "I said I wanted to hear you scream," he reminded her when he let her go.

A shudder passed through Rey's body. She knew she should be scared, that Kylo's words should make her deeply uncomfortable, and on some level they did. But the rest of her - the larger part of her, if she was honest - reveled in it. He'd warned her that he was a monster, and maybe he brought out the monster in her. She certainly never felt anything as strongly as he made her feel - anger, lust, compassion. He pushed all the right buttons, mentally and physically.

And so, in return, she gave him what he wanted. He loomed over her, and with her legs pressed up against her body, he drove deeper into her than ever before. The feeling was so intense, so overwhelming, that before long she didn't have to try to please him. The screams tore from her throat whether she wanted them to or not. 

But even better than the overwhelming pleasure of him pounding relentlessly into her was watching his face as he slowly came unstrung. At first, he scowled down at her with something akin to rage, fierce and triumphant. But before long pleasure began to smooth his features, until he was slack-jawed with beatific awe. His rhythm became erratic, unsteady, and at last, he released her legs, letting her wrap them around his waist so that he could slide his hands under her shoulders and press his body to hers tightly.

"Rey, oh," he gasped against her hair. "Please..."

Without asking, she knew what he needed. Turning her head, she kissed his ear softly. "Come to me, Kylo," she whispered.

He let out a tortured moan and spilled into her. The feel of the slick warmth of his seed filling her to the brim and then slipping out between her legs was enough to set her over the edge too. She clenched her legs tighter as if she could pull him deeper, and scraped her nails down the leather of his cape.

They spent a moment clinging to each other, reveling in the way the pleasure seemed to echo between them like an endless feedback loop. Rey felt a profound calm, like the stillness of Ach-To after a thunderstorm. For a moment, Ben let himself feel it too.

Then he pulled away, looking down at her. The disgust on his features would have worried her if it hadn't been so easy to sense it was directed at himself.

"I don't deserve you," he muttered, and withdrew from her.

Rey shivered at the sudden cold. She sat up slowly, watching Ben as he looked around at the havoc he had wreaked, as if seeing it for the first time.

"Maybe not," she said, voice a little hoarse with screaming. "But it's not like I don't get anything out of the deal either," she pointed out.

He gave her a deadened look. "I suppose going from a nobody to the most powerful woman in the galaxy has its benefits," he agreed.

Rey sighed heavily, looking around the room for something she could clean herself up with. Nothing looked promising. She eyed the end of her gauze wrap, trying to determine if it was clean enough. "That's not what I meant."

Ben turned to her and pulled something from within his tunic, a square of black fabric. She took it from him gratefully. "What did you mean, then?"

She glanced up at him, painfully aware of how disheveled she looked compared to him. "I got you, stupid. That's all I care about." She stood up with the intention of putting on her pants, but before she could he pulled her into a crushing hug. 

"I didn't want the power either," he confessed. "Just you."

Shocked, she wrapped her arms around him as well, feeling well-hidden within the folds of his cape. "Do you have any idea what we're doing?" she asked.

"No."

She sighed. "Me either. I guess I need a dress, though."

He pulled back, and examined her disheveled clothes, tugging the shirt closed. "I don't think I damaged anything," a small frown creased his forehead.

She smiled. "No, not right now. Holdo gave me some advice on how best to use my new position to effect."

"Did she now?" Ben sounded less than thrilled.

"Yeah. Well, mostly she asked me what _I_ wanted to do, and then told me what I need to do to make that happen," she explained as she retrieved the rest of her clothes. She picked up Ben's belt and lightsaber while she was at it, and handed them to him.

"And that involves a dress?" He took the belt and put it on, clipping the lightsaber back into place.

"I guess," Rey shrugged the gauze wrap back up onto her shoulders and tugged it down through her belt.

"That sounds like Amilyn," he muttered. "What color?"

"White or gold, she said. Regal, but not ostentatious," Rey quoted. "With a full skirt, but not made out of heavy fabric, so I can fight in it if I need to."

Ben made a disappointed face. "And here I was hoping you would say black," he traced one gloved finger down her neck. 

"Maybe... maybe one of those too?" she said breathlessly. "Could I have two dresses?"

He smiled. "I'll see what I can do, sweetheart."

Rey felt her cheeks flush, and was at a loss for how to thank him. She had the sneaking suspicion he might actually _laugh_. So instead she simply strode to the door and opened it. 

BB-8 immediately rolled into her sight, demanding to know what was going on and why she had taken so long and - he caught sight of the wreckage of the table and made a low whistle.

"We had an argument," Rey said matter-of-factly. "And then we worked it out."

Ben followed her out, and the droid immediately rolled backward and extended his electrical output probe. Raising one eyebrow, the Supreme Leader turned his gaze from the droid to Rey.

Rey sighed. "I think something might be wrong with his programming," she said. "He's been touchy all day."

Crossing his arms, he stared down at the orange and white droid, frowning as if he was trying to remember something. "I believe Commander Dameron added a loyalty subroutine. It probably classifies me and any of my allies as a threat to his owner."

BB-8 made a rude sound and folded away the probe.

"Then why does he still listen to me at all?" she asked.

Ben shrugged. "You rescued it, so that means you're also on the 'good' list. It must be terribly confused." He sounded highly amused.

"A paradox," Rey agreed. "We should probably get him back to Poe so he can fix him."

"The droid pool could take a look at him," Ben suggested.

BB-8 rolled back a bit and made an offended whistle.

Rey considered it. "Okay, but only diagnostics. No wiping."

The droid's photoreceptor turned to her, and he let out a soft, betrayed beep. Head lowered, he turned and made for the droid pool.

"It's for your own good," Rey called after him, exasperated.

Ben nodded his agreement and then looked down the corridor. "Have Holdo comm down to the surface," he ordered. "Let me know..."

She touched his arm. "I will." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay in posting today, having a bit of a rough day pain-wise and it took forever for me to work up the motivation to get in front of the computer. March is always the worst for my fibromyalgia because it feels like it's been cold and dark forever and I'm getting really tired of it lol. I just keep telling myself that in a few weeks it will be warm and nice again.
> 
> Not sure if I'll get the illustration up on tumblr today, I haven't scanned or colored it yet. If not I promise I'll try to get it up tomorrow.


	7. Communication

When Rey returned to the medbay, the medical droids were giving Holdo a last scan before dismissing her. A group of four Stormtroopers, her escort to the brig, made the space crowded. She was dressed once more in the purple gown she'd been wearing when they brought her on board, as per the orders Rey had left.

"Feeling better?" Rey asked casually as she walked in.

Holdo smiled wearily. "Yes, thank you. Sorry if I was a bit loopy."

Rey nodded. "I was warned you might be a bit unconventional, so I didn't think anything of it."

The Admiral pursed her lips, but it was obviously to hide a smile. "Is that the word he used?"

"Yes, actually." She turned to the stormtroopers, who snapped to attention. "We'll be making a slight detour to Communications."

"Yes, my lady," the sergeant agreed curtly. Rey was impressed with how quickly the message of how she was to be addressed had been disseminated.

When the med droids finally announced that Holdo was clear to discharge, she stood from the berth and approached the stormtroopers. She held her hands out, and the sergeant was already pulling out a pair of restraints.

Rey balked. "That won't be necessary," she said quickly.

Holdo gave her an amused smile and didn't lower her hands. "Let's just stick with protocol, for formality's sake," she suggested calmly.

Sensing that her order would cause problems and Holdo had just helped her save face, she nodded to the sergeant, who had dutifully paused at her words. He seemed relieved and quickly snapped the restraints around the Admiral's wrists.

Outside the medbay, two small open transports waited for them. Both Communications and the brig were some distance from the central hub of the  _Supremacy,_ and on opposite sides of the massive capital ship. Not by accident, she assumed.

The ride to Communications was a little awkward, with Rey and Holdo in the back of one transport, one trooper driving and the other half-turned to watch Holdo carefully. Behind them, the remaining 2 troopers followed in the second transport. Rey felt like she should strike up a conversation with her violet-haired companion, but couldn't think what to talk about given their audience.

Holdo, however, seemed calm. The Force was smooth and still around her, with little eddies of excitement. Rey got the sense that she honestly hadn't expected to live through this conflict and that every moment was a bonus. Her only concern was a worry - probably whether Leia had survived - but she felt determined not to think about it.

When they reached Communications, Rey preceded the stormtroopers and Holdo, catching the eye of the Captain on deck. She didn't remember her name - wasn't even sure if she'd been in the hundreds she'd been introduced to. Fortunately, she got a good glance at the woman's sleeve as she turned, and was able to read the name tape on her uniform.

"Captain Daniflee," she said, trying to sound confident that she was pronouncing it right. "Please arrange a terminal to contact the Resistance base on Crait. I'd like to have Admiral Holdo speak with them."

Daniflee, to her credit, hid her surprise well. Without the Force, Rey wouldn't have caught it. "Of course, my lady." She turned and called out orders to her subordinates, and in a matter of moments a terminal was cleared and prepped for their use. 

Holdo sat gracefully in the seat and waited patiently for the signal to be answered. After a very long moment, Captain Daniflee delicately cleared her throat.

"They haven't responded to any previous hailing, my lady," she said cautiously.

Rey scrunched her nose, trying to think. 

"If I may?" Holdo lifted her bound hands. "I have a personal encryption code they will recognize."

The Captain didn't look thrilled but nodded her assent.

Holdo carefully entered the code, and then resent the signal. After a long moment, the holoprojector flared to life, showing an angry Lieutenant Connix. The young woman's expression suddenly cleared into one of surprise. "Vice Admiral! It's actually you!"

Holdo smiled. "In the flesh."

"We got word that you were being held hostage on the  _Supremacy_. It's true then?"

Amilyn held up her bound wrists. "Afraid so. Is General Organa... available?" she said, mostly managing to keep the shake out of her voice.

Connix grinned. "Yes Ma'am." She turned as if to give an order and then looked surprised once more. A moment later, she was pushed out of the way by a determined-looking Leia. 

"Amilyn, I will never understand how you get yourself into these sorts of situations," she said, her grim tone covering what Rey could feel, even from here, was a strong sense of relief and joy.

"Just a talent," Holdo answered back.

"It's good to see you old friend," Leia finally let her relief show. Rey had the sense that the previous exchange was a test - some kind of code to be sure that it  _was_ Holdo and she wasn't under duress. "Why are they letting you talk?"

Rey smiled. She'd only met Leia briefly, but it seemed consistent with her penchant for being direct and to the point.

"Because you're the ranking officer, so they won't accept my surrender," she replied just as directly.

Leia scowled. "Are you crazy?"

Holdo lifted her eyebrows. "You tell me," she said archly.

Leia sighed. "Yes, you are. I am well aware of this. What could have possibly convinced you that we should  _surrender_ to the  _First Order_?"

"There's been a change in leadership," Holdo said delicately. "Snoke is dead, and has been succeeded by Supreme Leader Kylo Ren."

The resolved expression on Leia's face made it clear this wasn't news to her. Of course, Finn would have communicated that as part of his message. Still, the confirmation seemed a blow to her. "That doesn't help us," she said solemnly. "He's requested unconditional surrender, and who knows what will happen after that." Her eyes became distant, as if trying to read the future herself.

"I agree that the Supreme Leader doesn't necessarily have our best interests in mind," Holdo said carefully, eyeing Captain Daniflee. "But his newly-appointed second-in-command is more likely to be amenable to helping the survivors of the Resistance."

Leia tilted her head, and Rey took her cue to step into the range of the holocam. "Hi," she said lamely.

The holoprojector followed Leia's face as she sat down. Hard. "You're supposed to be with Luke," she said accusingly.

"I went to Luke," Rey said, struggling to remain calm under this woman's scrutiny. "He didn't want to train me. He was afraid." It was a carefully curated version of the truth, meant more for Captain Daniflee's ears than for Leia's.

"So, what? You took  _him_ up on his offer to train you?" she asked bitterly.

"Not exactly. It's... complicated. But the end result is that I am now the Right Hand of the Supreme Leader."

Leia's image glanced between Rey and Holdo. "And what exactly does that mean?"

Rey sighed. "It means I outrank everyone but the Supreme Leader." She resisted the urge to glance at Captain Daniflee.

Holdo chose this moment to speak up. "I think you two should talk in person," she suggested. "Not a negotiation for surrender, of course," she clarified. "But Rey might be better able to convince you of the First Order's intentions towards the Resistance now."

The General considered her words, clearly getting the message that privacy was needed to communicate the full truth. "A show of good faith?" she said instead. "We  _are_  dangerously low on food and medical supplies," she admitted.

Rey nodded. "I could see to that. I could bring Rose Tico with me, as well. Finn has done what we asked him to, so there's no reason for her to stay."

Leia smiled. "That would be appreciated."

"I'll speak with the Supreme Leader, and let you know when to expect my arrival," she said formally.

The General gave a terse nod. She looked like she wanted to say something, but held it back. "May the Force be with you," she said instead.

"And with you as well," Rey responded warmly.

The comm terminated, and Holdo sighed. "Well, I did my best, the rest is up to you."

"Thank you," Rey said sincerely. 

Holdo stood and went willingly back to her stormtrooper escort. Rey quickly thanked Captain Daniflee, who saluted, and followed her out. When she made to get in the same transport, Holdo just smiled.

"You don't need to accompany me to the brig," she said, amused. "I promise I won't try to escape, and even if I did I'm sure these soldiers would be perfectly capable of keeping me contained."

Rey glanced at the stormtroopers. It was hard to tell with the masks, but she thought they probably didn't find it very funny.

"Give my regards to the Supreme Leader," Holdo said, turning away and ending the discussion.

"I will," Rey replied. She pulled the sergeant aside and murmured to him, "See that she's given preferential treatment."

"Yes, my lady," was the sergeant's obedient reply.

Holdo and three of the troopers got on one transport and headed out for the brig. The remaining trooper held the rear door of the other transport open for Rey. She sighed and got in. When the trooper had closed her door and taken the driver's seat, he turned back for directions.

"I think I'd like to go to my quarters," she decided.

"Yes, my lady."

The ride over gave her time to try to think. She needed to get better at phrasing her requests to be orders. The rest of it was too much to even think about. That was where she would start. 

She needed to tell Ben about his mother. She suspected he already knew, which was why she didn't rush right to him. She was exhausted and starving, not a great mood to face another outburst from him if it came to that. She'd eat some more protein paste and maybe take a short rest before she went to see him.

When the transport finally stopped at the lift that led to deck 438, she temporized by thanking, then dismissing the stormtrooper. He saluted and drove off. She took the lift, glanced at Ben's door in passing, and walked in her own quarters to find a surprise waiting for her.

Two dresses had been hung on the bulkhead of her quarters. One was white, made of a fabric that drifted in her hands like the snow on Starkiller Base. It had a cape, but the clasp was simple and she could easily shed it if she needed to fight. The dress itself had a halter top neckline, and left her arms free and clear. It had a matching belt with a lightsaber clip already affixed to it. It was perfect for her needs.

The other dress was black. The fabric was a little heavier, but stretchy. While the white dress had a bit of a sheen to it, this one was so dark it seemed to absorb light. But the most perplexing thing was the array of straps that started at the neckline in the front and traveled halfway down the back. She wasn't entirely sure where her arms and head were supposed to go.

Intrigued by the challenge of it, she took it off its hanger and began to change. She quickly discovered that the skirt was not a single cylinder, as she had thought, but two separate panels that overlapped by a hand-span over either hip. The overlap was enough that nothing indecent would be revealed, and the panels were full enough that if she stood still her legs would be completely covered. But when she walked, she realized the fabric would part and show flashes of her legs. 

She wasn't sure how she felt about that. It would certainly make fighting in it easier, though.

Slipping the dress over her head, she navigated her way between the straps until all of them lay flat over her skin. Ducking into the 'fresher, she glanced in the mirror to see that they formed a geometric pattern over her shoulders and the upper part of her back. She could have wished they were a little shorter, though, as the neckline rode low enough to show quite a bit of skin in front. 

Also on the hanger was a long strip of fabric that she wasn't sure had a purpose and two slender cylinders. Judging by the hole in each, the latter were meant to go on her arms and loop over her thumbs. She had just slipped them on when her comm console chimed.

Distracted by trying to determine the purpose of the last piece of fabric, she pulled up the message. It was text only.

_Hope you enjoy your presents,_ it said.  _Please join me next door for dinner._

There was no signature, but neither was there any question who sent it. Smiling a little, she tossed the strip of fabric over one shoulder like it was her gauze wrap, grabbed her lightsaber, and left her quarters. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably no illustration for this chapter, since I did two for 6. Also, an incredibly awesome friend gave me his old Microsoft Surcface!!! Now I just have to figure out how to get it wiped and I can start cranking out much higher quality art for you guys.


	8. Dinner Conversation

The short trip to Ben's quarters was a revelation for Rey. The way the skirt of her dress slid across her legs was distracting, not to mention the airflow in places unaccustomed to such things. She wondered how long it would take to get used to.

When she pressed the chime for Ben's door, the doors slid open, surprising her. 

"I had it programmed to let you in," Ben said from inside the room. He was reading a datapad, obviously engrossed in what it had to say. "Were you happy with the dresses?" 

Rey stepped inside and let the door close behind her. "Yes, thank you. This one was a little difficult to get on, but I managed."

Ben looked up and did a double take. The hand holding his datapad lowered slowly, and his lips parted. 

"Did I put it on wrong?" she asked, not sure why he was so shocked. "I can't see the back very well, are the straps right?" She turned to let him see and glanced over her shoulder.

He visibly swallowed, his eyes becoming heated as they raked the length of her body. The rush of lust and possessiveness hit her so hard through the Force that she nearly staggered back a step.

As if in response, Ben stepped towards her. There was something feral and predatory about the gesture, and Rey felt her heart rate skyrocket. She turned to face him, oddly comforted by the weight of the lightsaber in her hand.

"You have no idea what you look like in that, do you?" His voice was low and barely more than a whisper.

"I... I checked in the mirror in my 'fresher, but it's not very big," she admitted.

Ben closed his eyes a moment as if blocking the sight of her. Before opening them he turned away and strode to the door that must be his closet. Opening it, he revealed a full-length mirror on the back of the door and gestured to it.

Cautiously, almost afraid of what she would see, Rey followed him around the edge of the bed. 

The woman in the mirror was one she almost couldn't recognize. The dress showed curves that had long been hidden behind her wrap, and hung straight down from her hips to graze the floor. The straps bisected her skin in sharp contrast, drawing the eye down to her cleavage. Rey's cheeks heated as she caught Ben's hungry gaze in the reflection.

"Oh."

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Pulling off his gloves, he tossed them aside and reached up to free her hair from the braid he'd put it in earlier. Wisps of her hair had escaped throughout the day, framing her face with ringlets. Ben carefully pulled the braid apart, burying his fingers in her hair and rubbing her scalp gently. It felt amazing, and she let her eyes slide closed for a moment, making a soft sound of appreciation.

"There," he murmured, drawing his fingers through the length of her locks and letting them fall about her shoulders. When Rey opened her eyes, she saw that the braid had pressed gentle waves into her hair. She looked even less like herself.

"I wasn't sure what to do with this," she touched the strip of fabric over her shoulder.

He pulled it away, the fabric sliding against her skin. "I asked them to include a belt you could hang your lightsaber on," he told her. "But this isn't really substantial enough. This is more like a stole, or a scarf..." The latter idea seemed to intrigue him. He passed the band of fabric in front of her and looped it around her throat and then under her hair, tying it in a simple knot. 

Pulling the remainder of the fabric behind her, Ben kept the length of it in his hands for a moment. Rey was struck by the sudden feeling that he'd put a collar and leash on her, like a pet Nikklu. A moment later he seemed to catch the idea, too, and pulled the fabric taut, drawing her back towards him.

"Do you like it?" he murmured in her ear.

She wasn't sure if he meant the dress, or being his pet. "Yes," she answered honestly.

He smiled and released the fabric to wrap his arms around her. 

Her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.

Picking up his head, he gave her a concerned look. "Haven't you eaten anything today?"

She turned to face him. "I had some of the protein paste and a carbohydrate bar when I woke up," she said defensively.

Ben made a face, scrunching up his nose. "That stuff is awful. Doesn't your food prep station have access to the officer's menu?"

Rey glanced away. "I didn't know what to pick. The paste wasn't bad..."

Sighing, Ben went to his own prep station and started dialing something up. "Do you like Corellian food?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I've never had it."

"It's a little greasy," he warned, "but it's my guilty pleasure." He turned around, holding two steaming trays of food. "Other than you," he murmured as an afterthought.

Rey almost missed the joke, she was so amazed at the sight of the food. Each tray featured an enormous pile of noodles covered in a meaty sauce that she could smell from across the room. A dish of colorful pieces suspended in a creamy liquid accompanied it - fruit, she guessed. They were each accompanied by a drink cylinder. 

Ben set the trays on the small table, and Rey approached in awe. It was the second most extravagant meal she had seen - after the spread that she'd inhaled at Maz's cantina. Ben pulled out the chair and gestured for her to sit. She did so with alacrity, and studied the food before her. She picked up the spoon - she recognized the fork but hadn't had much chance to use one - and eagerly dug in.

Sitting on the table itself opposite her, Ben poked at his own food, obviously more interested in watching Rey than eating. When she made an appreciative moan at the gravy sauce, he smiled. He watched her struggle to pick up the long, flat noodles with her spoon. 

"So," he said, catching her attention and pausing a moment. Rey watched him as he speared a peice of meat on his fork and then slowly twirled the noodles around it. She picked up her fork and tried attempting the motion before he went on.

"What's the news from the Resistance?" he asked carefully.

She glanced up at his expression, but it was blank, and he wouldn't meet her eye.

"General Organa is reluctant to surrender," she said once she had swallowed the noodles.

Ben closed his eyes and his shoulders lowered a fraction. Reaching for his drink cylinder, he unscrewed the top and took a long swig. Curious, Rey tried her own drink, and nearly spit it out.

"What?" he asked, finally looking up at her startled expression.

She tried again and grimaced. It was extremely sweet and seemed to tingle in her mouth. "It makes my teeth hurt," she complained.

He pressed his lips together a moment, obviously trying not to laugh at her. "It's carbonated. It won't hurt you."

Rey regarded the cylinder dubiously, listening to the soft fizzing sound that came from it. "I'm going to the surface tomorrow to talk with her."

" _What?_ " His sudden anger was like a slap in the face.

"Not to negotiate," she said defensively. "I just want a chance to tell her what's really going on without half the First Order listening in. She deserves to know the truth, Ben."

Ben stared down at the table for a long time, and then picked up his fork and began to eat with rather more force than was necessary.

"I also want to ask her advice," she admitted. "I don't know anything about running a government. She does."

"A  _democracy_ ," he said disdainfully through a mouthful of noodles.

"Wasn't she a princess, once?"

Ben sighed. "Alderaan was a constitutional monarchy. The crown was hereditary, last held by Queen Breha Organa, but it carried very little real power with it. Members of the royal family such as Princess Leia and her adoptive father, the Prince Consort Bail Organa, were often elected to fill the Senate seat, first under the Republic and then the Empire, but not always." He rattled off the facts like a history lesson, detached from his own legacy. 

Rey thought about that a moment. "Does that make you a prince?" she asked.

He looked up to meet her gaze. "Prince of a dead world," he said flatly, "destroyed by the Empire. The crown passes down the matriarchal line, though, and the last of that line has renounced it."

Scraping up the last of the gravy, Rey thought it seemed a rather fitting title for him. "Well, she was a member of the Imperial Senate too, even though she was fighting against the Empire. Maybe she has more insight than you might think."

He frowned, obviously not happy with the idea but lacking any good argument. "And you need to go  _there_ to do that? Why can't she come here?" he said peevishly.

Rey let out a helpless bark of laughter. "I'm sure she'd be thrilled with that idea. Anyway, it's a show of good faith. They're low on food and medical supplies, and it's long since time we let Rose Tico go."

He gave her an exasperated look. "You're turning over one of the hostages, too?"

Setting down her fork carefully, she gave Ben an even look. "You made it sound like I have the same authority as you. I made decisions as I saw fit. Do I need to clear all of my orders with you before I give them?"

They stood poised on the edge of a fight, Rey could feel it. She probably shouldn't have directly challenged his authority like that, but she was sick of having to dance around his ego. Darkness swirled between them, threatening to turn even  _her_ appetite.

To her surprise, Ben was the first to back down. "No," he said at last, although it obviously pained him. "But I'd like to be informed of the important ones."

"Well, I'm informing you. I haven't done it yet," she pointed out.

He nodded tersely. 

Satisfied with the truce, Rey picked up her spoon, licked it clean, and began to eat the fruit dish. It seemed overly sweet too, but not as bad as the drink. "Do you have any sort of message you'd like me to communicate to her?"

She could feel the pain seeping from him, like an old wound left to fester too long. She knew such wounds couldn't be left alone - they must be excised before they could heal. He didn't respond at first, but she let him think while they ate in silence. 

"Tell her... tell her I didn't take the shot," he said quietly.

Rey nodded.

"And," he took a deep breath, "There's something else. You'll have to remember the words exactly."

"Okay." Rey gave him her full attention.

He gave her the message and made her recite it back to him until he was satisfied she had it right. Rey had finished her dinner by then, and stood to put the tray back in the prep station. She turned back to find that Ben had stolen her chair, and she frowned.

Ben just held out his hand. She took it, and let him pull her down until she was straddling his lap, her legs almost completely exposed by the slits in her dress. His hands drifted lightly over her skin, and then came to rest on her hips. He stared down into her face, studying whatever it was he found there with fascination.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured.

Rey felt the hitch in her chest that was quickly becoming familiar. He wasn't much for compliments, and they were all the more precious as a result. "You're not too bad to look at yourself," she said with a half-smile, remembering the first time he'd caught her off-guard with his shirt off.

He trailed the line of her jaw carefully with one fingertip as if she might break. "Why did you accept my offer?" he asked.

Her mouth felt dry. "Well it was the right thing to do, for one," she said defensively.

"No, it wasn't."

Blinking, Rey glanced down. Some part of her knew he was right, that she shouldn't have compromised, and should have fought him in that moment. Leaning into his touch until he cupped her cheek, she closed her eyes and tried to find the words.

"I don't know if there's anyone in the galaxy who really understands what it is to be lonely like we do," she whispered. "This thing between us... this bond? It fills that hole inside of me like nothing else. It's... intoxicating."

She felt his disappointment, and followed the trail of logic behind it. "Snoke didn't make me feel this way about you, Ben. If he did create the bond, he only opened the door for me to see you as you really are. And I'm not convinced he did."

He tilted his head, intrigued. "Why?"

She opened her eyes. "We fought on Takodana. I was helplessly outmatched. But on Starkiller Base, after you looked into my mind, and I looked into yours, I had no trouble defeating you."

"I wasn't trying to kill you," he argued.

"I know, but it was almost easy once I knew what to do. I just had to listen and I knew what you were going to do before you did it," she explained.

"That was the Force guiding your actions," he said dismissively.

"No, I know that feeling now, I get it a lot when I'm flying. This was much clearer, more specific. I think I was using the bond to get the jump on you," she explained.

"Hm," he said simply, and pressed his forehead against hers. "So you said yes because you can cheat and tell what I'm thinking?"

She let out a soft laugh. "Maybe. Maybe I just like what I saw."

Although he didn't say anything, she could tell he didn't believe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Rey being completely oblivious to the effect she has on Ben. And of course Ben has a full-length mirror in his room.  
> For those of you who asked, YES a drawing of her in the dress is in the works. Not sure if I'll have it done today or tomorrow. I was stalling in the hopes of getting the Surface I got up and running, but I ended up having to take it into the Microsoft store, so it will be a week or two before I get to experience the joy of digital drawing again.  
> I've also run out of buffer chapters, which has me a bit freaked. I've been busy re-writing the sequel to my original published novel, "Vampire, Hunter" and working on freelance editing commissions. I'll try to build it back up this week, I'm determined to stick to a schedule for this story! Comments, as always, are the thing which motivates and encourages me the most, and I sincerely appreciate everyone who has been cheering me on.


	9. Departure

Sometime later, Rey made her way back to her own quarters. She would have liked to stay with Ben, but his bed really was too small for the both of them. At least the head of it was against the same bulkhead as hers, and she could still feel his presence nearby as she slept.

In the morning she got up and, half-awake, programmed the meal prep station to make more of the nutrient paste and carbohydrate bars she'd had the day before. As she ate them, she typed up a message to be sent to the Resistance base, regarding when they could expect her arrival. She donned the white dress and the knee-high suede boots that went with it, and then went over to Ben's quarters to have him approve the message. 

Ben looked over the datapad she handed him as he toweled off his hair. He was shirtless again, and Rey was suitably distracted.

"I'm flattered you asked," he muttered archly.

She sighed. "Well, I thought you would appreciate it, and I don't have a transport arranged or anything so I don't know precisely when I'll be there, anyway," she pointed out. 

"Fair enough," he conceded. He set down the datapad and looked her over with a surprisingly critical eye. "Sit," he ordered, pointing to the chair.

Rey raised an eyebrow, bristling a bit at being commanded like a Nikklu, and then was suddenly reminded of their exchange before the mirror the day before. She was, in many ways, at his mercy here. She sat.

To her surprise, he picked up the brush he had set out to fix his own hair and started pulling it through hers. Once he had all the tangles and snags out, he began braiding. 

For a moment, Rey felt the prick of tears at the corners of her eyes. Not because Ben was being rough about it, quite the contrary. There was some far off memory - someone else doing her hair - that she could only just catch the edge of. She'd longed for something like this for what felt like forever, but she was startled to find it here.

When he was done, Ben handed her a small mirror to inspect his work. He'd braided a portion of her hair across the top of her head, giving the impression of a crown. It suited her outfit perfectly.

"Thank you," she murmured, still a bit choked up.

Ben sat on the table next to her, beginning to work on his own hair. He studied her carefully, and she could feel him reaching out in the Force, trying to understand her sudden melancholy. She wished she could explain it to him, but she wasn't sure she had the words for it yet. 

He shrugged. "Best I could do for the time being. If you'd like, I can have a real crown for you when you get back."

That broke her out of her reverie, and she snorted. "I'm not going to wear a  _crown_ , Ben. I know we haven't figured out exactly how we're going to do this, but I doubt setting ourselves up as royalty is a good idea."

The corner of his mouth tugged upwards in an almost-smile. "I agree. I wasn't sure if you asking me about being a prince last night meant you wanted to be a princess."

"Hardly," Rey laughed, and then belatedly realized what he had implied. She blushed and then stammered a bit. "I--that is--" she sighed, collecting her thoughts, and leaned back in the chair. "You said it yourself, I'm nobody."

"That's not--" he started to protest, but she held up a hand.

"I know you didn't mean it like that. What I'm saying is we might be able to use that to our advantage. There's a lot of nobodies in this galaxy. Not so many princesses. Do you see what I mean?"

He frowned and set down his brush. "Maybe. I'm not sure I understand but I think you're on to something."

"This is why I want to talk to Leia," she said softly. "I think she'll be able to help me work these ideas out."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Alright. I'll have a shuttle arranged for you, and have the message sent down with the proper information."

"Thank you," she said, putting effort into making it sound genuine. Little steps. She stood up. "I need to go down to the droid pool to pick up BB-8, and then to the brig to get Rose."

"I'll have the hostage escorted to your shuttle," he replied. 

Rey almost protested but realized it would save her quite a bit of time. "Alright."

They stood there, facing each other for a moment. Rey knew they should be saying goodbye, but it seemed that neither of them knew how to do it. Ben stood up, and she tilted her head back to look into his eyes.

"Come back to me," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Something in her chest tightened, and she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face into his shoulder. "Of course I will," she murmured against his skin. He ran his hands up her back, the heat of them burning through the thin fabric of her dress. She hadn't guessed that his reluctance to let her go was born of this fear - a fear she understood all too well. 

"If anything goes wrong, if they betray you..." he said, his voice rough.

She pulled back in his arms and looked up at him. "They won't," she said with conviction. "And anyway, I think I've more than proved I can get out of just about anything," she reminded him, gently alluding to her escape from the interrogation room on Starkiller Base.

He fought back a smile. "Fair enough. But be careful."

"I will."

* * *

Rey strode into the droid pool with confidence. All around her were droids in various stages of disassembly and neatly arranged familiar tools. She had worried about keeping her white dress clean, but the place was spotless. A young man wearing goggles came to nervous attention as she entered.

"Can I help you my lady?" he asked.

"I've come to pick up a BB unit I sent here yesterday for assessment. It's orange and white," she began.

"Oh yes," he said quickly. He turned around and found a datapad on his desk. "It appears to have encountered a paradox in its programming," he said grimly. 

She nodded. "That's what the Supreme Leader thought."

"I would recommend a full memory wipe, and reprogramming," the droid tech suggested.

Rey frowned. "I'll be returning the droid to his owner today, so I don't think that will be necessary."

The tech looked even more nervous and glanced at an older man who sat behind a workstation, elbows deep in a reconstruction.

"Bring him out," the older man said without looking up.

Typing a command into his datapad, the tech looked over at one of the doorways with trepidation. After a moment, BB-8 rolled out sedately. There was a large black restraining bolt affixed to the top of his head.

Rey crouched next to the droid, concerned. "What is this for?" she demanded. BB-8 didn't seem to acknowledge her in any way.

"With all due respect, my lady," the older man said, setting his tools aside, "that droid is dangerous. When we did our assessment and concluded a wipe was probably necessary, he went berserk. Apparently, he'd found a blade somewhere, and was hiding it in his chassis. Whipped it out and started waving it around. Got me in the ankle," he held his leg out from behind the workstation to show her the bandaging.

Fighting back a smile, Rey nodded. "I see. I apologize. Due to the droid's programming, he understands this to be enemy territory. I'll be sure to pass along this information to the owner."

The tech and the old man exchanged glances, and then the old man shrugged. "As long as he's out of our hands."

"Thank you," Rey accepted a remote for the restraining bolt, set it to "follow" and left for the hangar where her shuttle was waiting.

The moment the turbolift opened, her eyes went wide. Waiting next to the open bay doors was a sleek, black, state of the art  _Lambda_ -class shuttle. She had to restrain herself from running towards it.

When she got closer, she could see a pair of guards waiting with Rose. She wore mechanical binders on her wrists and a drab gray prisoner's outfit. "Rose!" she called, glad to see her again.

Rose turned, took in Rey's fine dress and the restraining bolt on BB-8, and did not smile. "Rey," she said flatly.

The guards shifted, obviously unsettled by the lack of respect, but Rey waved a soothing hand before they could respond. Before she could say anything else, a pilot came striding down the boarding ramp. 

"Welcome aboard, my lady," he said with a smile. "I'll be your pilot today."

"That won't be necessary," Rey said quickly. "I can fly myself."

He frowned. "Are you cleared to pilot this class of shuttle?" he asked, clearly concerned.

Rey waved a hand again. "I can fly anything." It took very little to bolster the statement with the Force since it was true.

"You can fly anything," the pilot responded. "...My lady," he added belatedly. After a moment, he shook himself and stepped down off the boarding ramp to get out of her way.

She gave him a nod and began to make her way up the ramp. BB-8 followed, and behind him, the guards pushed Rose forward. Rey turned when she heard the clomp of their boots on the ramp.

"I'll be taking the hostage from here. You're dismissed," she ordered.

The guards looked at each other. "But... my lady..."

"I want this to be a peaceful surrender, and bringing armed guards doesn't make for a good start. Besides, it's not as if I'm unarmed." She patted the lightsaber at her hip. 

Stepping back, they looked up at her, still unsure. Rose, however, had the look of someone who had caught on to an inside joke. She pulled away from the guards and proceeded up the ramp. Once she was aboard, Rey closed the door, leaving the guards staring dumbly after.

The moment the door was closed, Rey turned to Rose and undid her restraints, tossing them on a nearby seat. "Can you get that restraining bolt off?" she asked the mechanic, handing her the remote.

"Yeah, sure," Rose smiled.

"Thanks." Rey made her way quickly to the pilot's seat. She looked over the controls with a sense of giddy glee. She'd run plenty of sims on an older version of the  _Lambda_ -class, and the updates didn't look too complex for her to figure out. Strapping in, she began running the start-up sequence.

BB-8 came rolling into the cockpit, a torrent of offended beeps and whistles preceding him.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. But you shouldn't have pulled a knife on them! What were you thinking?" She chided as her hands flew across the controls.

The droid squawked that he was just defending himself.

"He's not wrong," Rose said softly as she sat in the copilot seat and buckled in.

Rey sighed. "I know. Ready for takeoff?"

Rose let out a small laugh. "More than ready. Let's get out of here."

Easing the throttle forward, Rey lifted the shuttle off the deck and headed for open space beyond the bay doors. As she entered the command to extend the lower wings, she heard Rose breathe a sigh of relief. "I thought we were never gonna get out of there!" she laughed.

Rey gave her a weak smile. "Can you take the controls for a moment? I need to send out a message."

"Sure," Rose agreed. She pulled her chair up to the controls and kept an eye on their descent to Crait.

Meanwhile, Rey hastily composed and encrypted a message and then sent it out on a subspace channel, hoping it would go unnoticed.

Rose watched her from the corner of one eye. "Calling in reinforcements?"

Rey grimaced. "Not exactly. There, I can take over now." 

"So what's the plan?" Rose asked, her cheerfulness dimming slightly.

Glancing at the mechanic, Rey fought the urge to panic. "I... I'm working on it. I'll explain everything once we get to the base."

The careful scrutiny Rose subjected her to made her uncomfortable, but she tried not to show it. "Okay, fair enough," the mechanic said at last and sat back in her seat.

As they began to break atmosphere, Rey tried desperately to come up with exactly what she was going to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The incident with BB-8 pulling a knife was inspired by [this post on Tumblr,](http://thehappymediumsteapot.tumblr.com/post/171813771281/copperbadge-peradii-digitaldiscipline) which my husband affectionately refers to as "StaBB-8." It was just too good to pass up on adding in.  
> Also, I love these two emotionally stunted dweebs. They are entirely too tragically adorable.


	10. Arrival

Rey set the shuttle down on the flat, white plain gently. Looking out of the viewport, Rey frowned at the dusty substance on the ground and hoped it wasn't snow. The closed blast doors of the base stood towering before her, cold and imposing. She leaned forward to see the top of them and took a deep breath.

"Don't be so nervous," Rose told her. "I'm sure Finn's been running around telling everyone how great you are, they'll all love you." There was some undercurrent of bitterness behind the words, but without the Force, Rey would never have noticed it. She hid it well behind a cheerful smile.

"I'm not nervous, exactly." Rey tried to return the smile. "I just have no idea what I'm doing."

That made Rose laugh. "Who does?" she joked.

Now Rey's smile was genuine. "Good point. Well, here goes nothing." While it was true that she wasn't nervous, she was rather intimidated. Not by anyone in the base, or even the base itself. But there was an undercurrent to the Force that gave weight to the moment she could not ignore. Her actions here would turn the course of the galaxy, and change the lives of trillions of beings.

Remembering Luke's brief training, she took another deep breath, and this time she let it center and ground her. Let the Force guide her actions so that she might choose the best path.

Walking back into the body of the ship, she pressed the control to lower the boarding ramp and stepped down onto the surface of Crait. It was cool, but not cold enough for snow. The smell of mineral salt filled her nose, and a capricious wind sent grains of it scuttling along her path. When she glanced behind her, she saw that the train of her cape had brushed away the salt deposits to leave a trail of red, raw soil. Rose and BB-8 had paused at the top of the boarding ramp. They seemed to understand that she needed to make this journey alone.

Standing up a little straighter, Rey wrapped the Force around herself, tried to look like she belonged there, and set off. It wasn't far to the door, perhaps 20 meters. But each step felt like it reverberated through time. As she drew close she saw soldiers in the trench cut into the ground just in front of the cliff face. The looks on their faces ranged from wary to awed. So far so good.

As she drew close to the door, it began to open, ancient cogs groaning with the effort. The doors parted just enough to reveal a single figure, cloaked in gray. Leia.

"General Organa," Rey said formally, stopping a few meters short of the entrance. "I come to speak of peace."

Leia smiled at that. "Peace," she said softly, almost mockingly but not quite. The hope had not died in her entirely. "I welcome you Rey, Right Hand of the Supreme Leader. Let us talk of peace, then." She turned, gesturing to the base behind her.

Rey nodded and followed her inside. It took her a moment to adjust to the darkness within, and when she did see clearly it almost broke her heart. Broken down equipment, harried fighters with little to no light in their eyes. People whose injuries obviously had gone untreated for days. And the haunted look of hunger she knew entirely too well.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Leia said, and Rey turned to find the older woman studying her carefully. 

"Really?" Rey asked doubtfully.

Leia shrugged. "I've seen worse. What is the message you bring from the Supreme Leader?"

Glancing around and the onlookers, Rey sighed inwardly. Like son, like mother, she supposed. This time she would be more careful. "No official message. I have the authority to speak for him here."

That made Leia's eyebrows go up a fraction. "Very well then. Let's go to my office."

* * *

Leia's "office" turned out to be a storeroom packed with junked electronics, with two small barrels to sit on and a larger crate as a table between. A blonde-haired lieutenant, the one who had answered the comm message, brought two cups of caf that were so watered-down they had barely any color. Rey almost felt guilty accepting hers, but she knew the importance of keeping the rituals in lean times.

When they were alone, Leia gave her a mischevious half-smile. "I noticed you said there was no 'official' message...?" she prompted.

Rey smiled softly, too. "No message from the Supreme Leader, but I do have one from your son."

Leia's lips parted in gentle shock. "Ben?"

She nodded. "He said to first tell you that he didn't take the shot."

The general's gaze, which had grown soft with distance, drew focused on her once more. "I know that," she said quietly. "I could feel it."

"I thought so," Rey murmured. "He'd already been devastated by... by what he did on Starkiller Base," she explained, unable to say it even now. "When he felt that you weren't angry either... I think it undid him a little more."

Setting down her caf with extreme care, Leia stared at the table for a long moment. Rey was impressed with her self-control, through the Force she could sense the older woman let the wash of emotions pass over her, and then set them aside neatly for later contemplation. "And the rest of the message?"

"He said to tell you exactly these words: I would rather be a monster that believes in something, that would sacrifice everything to make the galaxy better, than be someone who sits on the sidelines and watches as if it has no consequences to them."

Before Rey had half finished the first phrase, Leia had rolled her eyes and let out a huff of breath. She shook her head as she listened to the rest of the recitation. "Make me eat my own words, will you, Ben?" she muttered.

Rey was surprised. She had thought the words some carefully-crafted defense he had slowly composed over the years. She had never imagined it was something Leia had said.

At her incredulous look, Leia made an expressive gesture. "It was my justification for being a part of the Rebellion, when it caused the death of my entire planet." There was pain in the words, even all these decades later. "My point was that war makes monsters of us all. I suppose it made a monster of my son even more so than me."

Reaching out, Rey put a hand on Leia's. It was worn and soft as kessa-leather, the gems of her rings unwarmed by her blood. "Then let's end this war, Leia. Let's try to make peace work again."

This time, Leia did look a little hopeless. "I thought we had. When Ben was born, I thought we had achieved peace. And then the First Order rose from the ashes of the Empire, more ruthless and terrible than ever."

Rey nodded. "I don't know a lot about galactic politics," she admitted. "But it seems to me that the Empire were rather sore losers. Maybe the First Order won't be such sore winners, and we'll have a chance to make things work from the inside."

Before Leia could respond, Finn came bursting into the room. "Rey!" he shouted. He was covered in red dust and looked like he'd been hard at work.

Rey stood, surprised, and grinned. "Finn!" 

Her friend ran forward and almost embraced her, stopping at the last minute as he glanced down at her white dress. "I'm a mess," he laughed, stepping back and brushing off the dust.

"You are! What have you been up to?" she laughed.

Finn glanced at the General and shrugged. "Working in the tunnels. Rose found me, I can't believe you actually got away from that bastard!"

The atmosphere in the room took a decided turn for the cooler, but Finn didn't seem to notice. "So what's the plan? Beebee-ate says he's got a full schematic of the  _Supremecy_  in his data, surely we can use that to our advantage."

"Finn," Rey said quietly, trying to find the words. Behind him, Rose caught up and seemed to catch on to what the former stormtrooper had not. She crossed her arms and leaned in the doorway, with a resolved sense of disappointment.

Rey sat down and looked at Leia. The general offered her a small shake of the head and sipped at her caf.

"Finn, I am a member of the First Order, now," she said firmly. "I explained this to you--"

"Yeah, but you  _had_  to, right? Even though I showed you how to wipe the recordings, you had to be careful, I get it. You're safe here," he said emphatically.

Rey took a deep breath. "Everything I told you was true, Finn. I mean to try to fix the First Order from within, by serving at Kylo Ren's side." She intentionally used Ben's chosen name to drive the point home.

Finn stood there for a moment. This time, he didn't get angry, he just slowly deflated, shoulders sinking. "You have changed," he said at last. "Rose was right."

Behind him, Rose had the grace not to look triumphant, and just closed her eyes. "C'mon, Finn," she called softly. "We've got work to do, there's food and medical supplies that need to be unloaded from the shuttle. Rey and the General need to negotiate."

Drawing himself up into full, proper posture for a stormtrooper, Finn gave Rey a cold look. "The First Order doesn't negotiate," he said with deadly certainty. "She's here to dictate terms."

"I'm here to consult with General Organa as to what's best for everyone involved," Rey said, struggling to keep her temper down. "I'm sorry you don't see the importance of that."

Finn let out a huff of breath and turned, parade perfect, and marched right out of the room. Rose lingered a moment later, giving Rey a very disappointed look. She then bobbed a quick salute to Leia and followed after.

Rey let out a long breath and collapsed a little.

"Well done," Leia said without a hint of sarcasm and set down her empty caf mug. "Standing up to your enemies is a common kind of bravery. Standing up to your friends takes somewhat deeper strength."

"Does it ever get any easier?" Rey rubbed her forehead.

"No," the General lamented. "Tell me, how is Amilyn doing?"

Rey was grateful for the change of subject, although she sensed it wasn't quite the non-sequitur it sounded like. "She's fine. Insisted on staying in the brig instead of confined to quarters. Gave me some fashion advice," she said incredulously and gestured to her dress.

Leia nodded. "That sounds like her. The braid crown is a nice touch."

That brought a more genuine smile to Rey's face. "That was Ben's doing," she admitted.

The older woman mirrored the smile, and her eyes shone a little brighter in the weak light. "I'm glad to hear that."

Rey took the plunge. "To tell you the truth, what I couldn't say when Holdo called, was that I need your help. It looks like I'm going to be just shy of co-ruler of the galaxy, and I have no idea what I'm doing. Ben seems slightly less clueless, but..."

"But he's got no head for politics," Leia finished. "He never did. Takes after his father, that way."

Rey tended to agree. Ben was very much the shoot first, ask questions later type that she'd glimpsed in Han. "I was hoping we could figure out some way of... well, ruling the galaxy," she laughed, "that helped move things towards the better."

Leia sat back and looked at the ceiling for a moment, thinking. "Well, a benign dictatorship is the most efficient form of government," she admitted wryly. "Still, that's a tall bill. Turning a military junta into any kind of government is going to be a challenge. But a dictatorship is probably the easiest, for now."

Rey didn't try to hide the surprise in her expression. "I thought you would object to that straight off."

Shrugging, Leia gave her a smile. "I was raised in a monarchy, albeit a constitutional one. There are two problems with dictators, in general. One, the people who want to take that kind of power aren't usually the sort you want ruling. Snoke, for instance. By replacing him, you've solved that problem. The second is succession."

"Succession?" Rey asked.

"Who takes over when you die? You won't live forever, and assassination is the leading cause of death for dictators," Leia said matter-of-factly.

Rey grimaced. "Good point." She frowned, trying to think of a solution.

Leia waved a hand, distracting her. "We'll worry about that later. Right now, we've got to outline what sort of administration you want. One person can't run all the minutiae of the galaxy."

That wasn't much better. "Well... for things at the planetary or system level, I think we should let them decide on their own governments."

The General nodded. "Self-determination is a noble idea, but what do you do with corrupt governments, to keep the corruption from spreading to higher levels?"

"What... what if we dismantled those governments, on charges of violating rights, and then put something else in place. Like a democracy?"

"Better do a puppet democracy, for a while at least," Leia pointed out. "If you let an uneducated population elect their own leader they're likely to elect an idiot. Or a Messiah. Or both, and then you've probably got another rebellion on your hands."

By now, Rey was staring at Leia in open-mouthed shock. Leia chuckled and made a dismissive gesture. "This is all hypothetical right now," she explained. "We're in Statecraft 101, Ethics is a 300-level class, at least. We'll worry about it once we've got the basics down."

"Statecraft 101?" Rey asked.

That made Leia pause. "Rey, how much education have you had?"

Rey's cheeks flushed, and she fought to ignore it. "I saved up some extra portions and traded them to learn to read and write aurebesh," she explained. "And I learned quite a bit of slicing from working with old computers. I can speak six languages, and I understand three types of droid speak.

"You did very well for yourself," Leia said approvingly. "I doubt Luke had that much of an education on Tatooine, and he had his aunt and uncle looking out for him. But, I think it's safe to say for our purposes here you're something of a  _tabula rasa_ , with nothing but your inherent sense of right and wrong to color your decisions."

She nodded.

"That's good," the General said after a pause. "When we defeated the Empire, I was operating under the assumption that because the Old Republic had been a democracy, the New Republic should be as well. But I began to see that it's not really suited for the scale of the galaxy. If everyone is to have a voice, nothing can get done in a timely manner. If there's no time to hear everyone, then only the loudest are represented. And with so many players it's terribly vulnerable to corruption. It surprises me far less than it once did that Palpatine was able to manipulate his way to the top and orchestrate both sides of a war."

For a long time, she stared down at her empty caf mug, thinking. "So I think it's time for me to set aside my lofty ideals. Maybe it's time for the Republic to die."

Rey grinned.

"What?" Leia asked.

"You sound like Luke," Rey told her.

Leia glanced at the lightsaber that hung at Rey's hip. "That's a story you owe me, too. But for that, I think we need some more caf," she said decidedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The quote that Ben sent as the message is from "Star Wars Annual #2," the new canon Marvel comic series.  
> Finn referring to Rose saying that Rey would have changed is from the novelization. I actually quite like Rose, especially in the book. She seems to have picked up that Finn is somewhat infatuated with an idealized version of Rey, and since he hardly knows her that's not surprising. Rather than trying to point this out to him, she wisely warns him that when they meet again he might find that Rey's experiences have changed her.  
> Sorry there was no illustration last week, I had one planned out of BB-8 attacking the droid techs, but I had a very bad flare of my fibromyalgia, and spent most of the week with my hip partially dislocated and trying to pull itself the rest of the way out. The cold is always hard on me, and this winter just won't seem to let go. I managed not to miss work, but that meant I pretty much came home, ate, took my medicine, and went to sleep. In addition, I found out the Surface Pro a friend gave me is too old to be compatible with any of the art programs that I use, so I'm back to square one for digital options. This is super frustrating because I really wanted to do this chapter's illustration digitally, the image of Rey walking on Crait in a white dress, trailing red after her, was one of the very first ideas that inspired this story.  
> But I am very, very determined to stay on track with updating. Your wonderful, lovely comments have been incredibly encouraging through this rough week, and I hope to have time to respond to them all this weekend. Hopefully, I can build up a bit of a buffer again too, instead of staying up late on Friday nights.


	11. Suspicions

While Rey was in the midst of telling Leia the tale of her visit to Ach-To, they had another visitor. Leia was still laughing, imagining Rey's face as she stormed into the village and discovered not a slaughter, but a party. The person who came to stand in the open doorway seemed pleasantly surprised to hear the General laugh.

"Commander Dameron!" she said with some delight. 

"I'm pretty sure you demoted me to Captain, and then I committed mutiny," he said sheepishly.

Leia waved a dismissive hand at him. "Your heart was in the right place, if not your head. What do you need?"

Poe stepped into the room and glanced at Rey. "Rose told me you had some information about my droid, BB-8."

Rey lit up. "Yes! Sorry, I should have come to you sooner," she said, mortified.

"No worries," Poe pulled up a crate and sat with them. "He seems pretty okay, although him and Finn seem thick as thieves now."

Rey nodded. "He's been acting a little odd since I found him on the  _Supremacy_ ," she told him. "Reticent at times, and then violent."

"Violent?" Poe didn't seem very surprised and raised an amused eyebrow.

"Yes. I had the droid pool assess him, and they found his programming had encountered a paradox. When they mentioned a wipe might be best - don't worry," she said quickly in response to his widened eyes and opened mouth, "I left strict orders not to do so, he was in no danger."

Poe relaxed marginally and seemed to assess her more carefully. "Go on," he prompted her.

"When they mentioned the wipe, he apparently took out a knife and started swinging. Cut one of the techs' ankle," she said, trying not to smile.

To both the others' surprise, Leia made a choked sound that was obviously a badly-hidden laugh. Poe looked at her a moment but seemed to decide to pretend not to notice. "That's ah... not terribly out of character for him," Poe admitted, "but the paradox does concern me. What was it?"

"Me," Rey shrugged. "He must have filed me under his loyalty subroutine when I rescued him from Teedo, and then refused to sell him, even for 60 portions. But now..." she glanced at Leia, and then down at the floor. "Now I'm the Supreme Leader's Right Hand," she confessed. "And I intend to help run the First Order."

Poe pulled in a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "I heard Snoke was killed, that you did it...?"

She shook her head. "That's the official story, but it's not how it happened. It was done with my blade," she touched the hilt at her hip, "but it was Ben who did it."

" _Ben?_ " There was a surprising amount of venom in Poe's voice. "Ben is dead, Rey. Kylo Ren killed him a long time ago." Belatedly he sent an apologetic glance Leia's direction, but he didn't ease up.

Rey sat back and smiled a little. "It's strange. That's exactly how he put it, too."

That gave Poe a moment of pause but didn't shake him. "Do you even know what he did to me?"

Her smile faltered. "No. What happened?"

Poe took a deep breath. It was clear the trauma was still fresh for him, and Rey realized whatever it was probably had happened very recently.

"He... tortured me. Got inside my head somehow," he started to explain.

"Oh. That," Rey said. She didn't mean to trivialize it, only to let him know that he didn't need to go any further in detail.

The pilot relaxed a little, and then a suspicious expression stole over his features. "He didn't... to you?"

"He tried," Rey answered honestly. "I was able to fight back. Push into _his_ mind. But Snoke..." she swallowed hard, the very memory of the pain making her sweat. "So yeah, I know what you're talking about. Thing is, I'm pretty sure he did it to Ben, too. Possibly frequently."

Poe looked away, his hands curling into fists on his thighs. Beside them, Leia toyed with her caf mug, clearly deep in thought.

"Ben is not dead," Rey said at last. "If he was, then... then killing Han would have been a victory for him."

Both Poe and Leia looked up at her then. "It wasn't?" Poe asked.

Rey shook her head. "It... broke him, a little. In a good way. I think maybe it was the push he needed to start clawing his way back to the light. And that's why I need to stay. I need to help him."

Poe made a dismissive sound. "He'll never come fully to the light, not after what he's done."

She glanced down at her hands in her lap, picking at a bit of toughened skin on one thumb. "No, he won't. But I'm starting to think that the Light isn't all it's cracked up to be, either. Luke wants the Jedi order to die," she said bluntly, "and he has very good reasons."

That, finally, got through to Poe. Before he could come up with another argument, Rey pressed on.

"Ben has done things that are probably unforgivable," she agreed. "Maybe I will too. But sometimes we make the wrong choices, and people die. That doesn't mean we don't deserve a chance to do better."

At that, all the color drained out of Poe's face. He looked at Leia.

"I didn't say anything," she held up her hands. "But you have to admit, she has a point. Ben and Rey now stand in a position where they can do a lot of good in the galaxy. I think we're going to have to put this war behind us and work on making a better future through peace. If it's just going to be a contest of who won, then it's never going to end."

Poe shook his head, then leaned down to put his face in his hands. "Maybe you're right. I'm still willing to fight, but I'm getting tired of watching all my friends die."

"Peace still requires fighting," Leia chuckled. "And it's a much harder kind of fighting because you can't just blow up your enemies. You have to convince people they're wrong. You managed to strike up a mutiny, you've probably got what it takes to make a decent politician," she mused.

That got a snort from the pilot. He gave Rey one last, long stare. In the Force, she could tell that he still didn't trust her, but he seemed to come to a decision. "Alright. Okay. I can see where you're going with this, and it's not as crazy as I thought. What can I do to help?" Much of his cheerfulness was forced, but she wouldn't have guessed without her insight into what he was feeling.

Rey thought about it a moment. "What I really need right now is to know what needs to be changed quickly to make the First Order a better, more ethical organization. What are the worst atrocities? What do we insist dies with Snoke?"

"Well, torture would be a good start," Poe joked in a broken voice.

"It crossed my mind," she said drolly.

"You know, Finn would probably be a better person to ask," Poe said seriously. "I mean, he saw it from the inside and was upset enough to overcome all the conditioning and everything and leave."

Rey sighed. "Yeah, but he's really angry at me."

He nodded his head to the side. "Not hard to see why, but he's definitely the guy to talk to."

"Rose Tico should have some input, too," Leia suggested. "Her homeworld was exploited and then destroyed by the First Order, so she has a different view of the problems."

"I tell you what," Poe said, sitting back. "Let's go talk to them together, maybe if I'm there he'll calm down a bit."

"Worth a try," Rey agreed. "Rose said they were going to be unloading the supplies from the shuttle." She stood up and looked to Leia, who waved a beringed hand.

"Go. Once you've got more concrete ideas of what you want to do, we can talk tactics," she suggested.

Rey nodded and left with Poe.

 

* * *

 

When they reached the shuttle, they found a crew of Resistance fighters unloading the supplies, but Rose and Finn were not among them. A few questions on Poe's part revealed that the two had gone back into the tunnels to work.

Poe frowned a moment but thanked the sergeant and left. When they had a moment alone in a corridor, Rey asked him what was wrong.

"The work in the tunnels was to dig a back door, so we could escape undetected if one of our allies came to our aid. If we're not fighting anymore, the project is obsolete," he said.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Rey said, the Force gathering in something like anticipation. 

They both started walking faster.

When they turned a corner and saw sunlight streaming in, Poe broke into a run. Rey grabbed the hem of her dress and yanked it up to follow close behind. The last few feet was a tight squeeze between boulders, but at last, they emerged into a brightly-lit valley.

Rose and Finn were standing there, staring up at the cloudless sky, BB-8 waiting at their feet.

"What are you guys doing out here?" Poe demanded.

Finn tore his gaze away from the expanse above them, clearly excited. He opened his mouth to speak, but then saw Rey behind the pilot, and his face suddenly became a mask. "What is she doing here?"

Poe crossed his arms. "I asked first."

"I wanted to talk to you, Finn. About what you experienced in the First Order, about the training program. So I can make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else," she said, speaking softly.

"You mean so no one else will be able to turn traitor?" he asked bitterly.

"So no one will want to!" she said, exasperated.

He shrugged. "Same thing, from a certain point of view."

"Guys..." Rose said behind them.

Before anyone could respond, the unmistakable sound of a ship coming out of hyperspace cracked the stillness around them. Looking up, they spied the distinctive outline of a familiar ship as it headed towards the surface at full speed.

Rey closed her eyes as if blocking out the sight would make it untrue. "You idiot," she murmured.

"Are you crazy?" Poe demanded. "We'll have a full squadron of TIEs on us in no time!"

"It was the only way out!" Finn shouted back. "The First Order is jamming the signal to our Allies, we were lucky enough to catch a subspace transmission and copy it to get a message out!"

Rey glared at Rose, who stuck her chin out and glared right back. No mystery where they'd gotten the subspace code. "We're not. The signal isn't jammed, Finn. We let it go.  _Nobody is responding."_

"That's... that's impossible," Rose said softly, her doubt betraying the statement. "We have allies everywhere..."

"Yes, but if we keep fighting, it's just going to become a war of attrition!" Rey shouted back, finally losing her temper. "Can't you see that? Can't you see that going on like this is only going to result in death? Fighting until we've all killed each other isn't going to solve anything!!"

By this time the Millenium Falcon was making its final approach, landing in the narrow valley. Finn and Rose looked unsure, but Rey stormed right towards the ship, squinting her eyes against the flying salt and red dust. When the boarding ramp lowered, Chewie was standing at the top of it. He let out a surprised yelp to see Rey standing before him.

"I told you to  _stay away_!" she shouted.

Chewie whined about her message, and the other he had received.

Rey whirled around, infuriated. "Brainwashed?!" she shouted. Finn flinched. Behind them, Leia emerged from the narrow crack between the boulders as well, clearly out of breath. "You told him I was  _brainwashed_?"

"Well it wouldn't be the first time they've done it!" he shouted, getting his nerve back. "We don't know what he might have done, poking around in your brain..."

"Wait a minute," Poe interrupted. "That's not how it works. If she could have been brainwashed, that implies that I..." he glanced between Rey, Finn, and lastly Leia.

Leia looked up at him seriously. "It was a concern," she said honestly. "Your behavior took a decided turn for the self-destructive."

Poe made a disgusted sound. 

"That's  _not_ how it works," Rey agreed forcefully.

Leia turned to her. "They're asking for you, on the comms."

Rey froze and reached out for Ben. In that moment, she felt him clearly, a rush of fear and anger and betrayal that signaled that he was dangerously close to diving fully back into the darkness. Her heart lurched at the pain, at the thought that he could believe she would do such a thing to him.

"Get that ship out of here!" she ordered, and picked up her dress's hem once more.

"On it!" Poe yelled back and dashed for the boarding ramp.

Rey didn't even stick around long enough to watch him board. She  _ran_. She didn't even know the twisting maze of tunnels that ran underground, she didn't need to know. She ran without thinking and turned when the Force told her to. Just before she reached the comm station she heard the unmistakable sound of TIE fighters screaming overhead.

As soon as she ran in the door, Lieutenant Connix turned and immediately held out the transceiver for her. "Full broadcast, all channels," she told her quickly. 

"This is Rey, Right Hand of the Supreme Leader!" she said breathlessly. "Belay all orders! Do not attack!"

The chatter over the comms quieted to hear the response.

"This is General Hux," a voice replied smugly. "The Supreme Leader himself has ordered the destruction of a known enemy vessel. What reason do you have to contradict his orders?"

Rey rolled her eyes. "There has been a miscommunication. The vessel believed itself to be on a rescue mission. I ordered it to depart and it did so promptly."

"A rescue mission? For the Resistance?" Hux's amusement was clear.

"For me," she temporized.

That produced a profound silence on the line. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for the response.

"Where are you currently located?" came a new voice, the words strained as though spoken through clenched teeth. 

Rey didn't even bother to fool herself into thinking it was Ben. This was Kylo Ren, plain and simple. "In the communications center of the Resistance base, my Lord."

She felt his anger ebb a bit at the term of respect, but it was followed by a wave of suspicion. "Report," he ordered.

"The owner of the vessel received word that I was on-planet and incorrectly assumed that I would need an escape route. Upon landing, I confronted the owner and disabused him of this notion. Then I ordered a Resistance pilot to ensure the vessel left the planet as soon as possible. He obeyed," she summarized.

"They're scanning the Falcon," Connix reported from across the room. 

"Millenium Falcon, drop your shields so you can be scanned," she ordered, hoping they were listening in.

"Yes, Ma'am," came Dameron's quick response. 

After a moment's pause, an unknown First Order officer reported, "Two humanoid life forms, both male, one Wookie and one human, as well as multiple smaller life forms."

"We've got a bit of an infestation," Poe called back by way of explanation.

"Porgs," Rey explained. "Avians."

"It checks out," the reporting officer agreed. "A second scan shows the smaller life forms are avian."

There was a long pause, the silence on the comm eerie and weighted. "Your orders, my Lord?" Rey said at last.

"General, call off the attack," Kylo said reluctantly. "Hand, complete your mission as quickly as possible. See that there are no further... miscommunications," he bit out.

"Yes, my Lord," she replied in clipped tones. She released the button on the transceiver and sank down into a nearby chair, letting out a long breath.

All around her, the scant handful of surviving Resistance officers stared at her with a mixture of awe and disbelief. But after a moment, she began to sense in them a begrudging respect, and from that, trust.

Rey closed her eyes a moment. Maybe she could still make this work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm not dead. Things are just going from bad to worse for me. The company I work for appears to be in its death throes, people are leaving by the droves, and I've been given a promotion (but not a raise) that pretty much means I have to do my job plus the job of someone higher up than me who left. Meanwhile, my surgery is a month away, the insurance company is still fighting with my doctor over whether they should cover it, and I'm really starting to feel the effects of having a non-vital organ that needs to be removed.
> 
> But then there was a confluence of events that allowed me to crank out a few more chapters. LadyRedStar left a comment asking if I was planning on coming back, and we had about 3-4 thunderstorms in a row, so with that guilt and all the extra energy in the air, I was able to spend a few days building my buffer back up. So this story should be good for a few weeks, and by then I'll be off work for my surgery, and y'all will get to find out if I write crazy things on meds or not.
> 
> I can't make promises in terms of illustrations, though. The tablet I thought I was going to be able to use turned out to be too old to run any of the programs I use, and didn't even have enough levels of pressure. I had started to try to save up for a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 or 4, but then my poor kitty had to have his tail amputated so that money and then some is gone.
> 
> Anyway, I don't mean to write you guys a sob story, I just feel extremely guilty about not keeping this story going and wanted you to know why I hadn't updated. A couple of my friends have suggested that I start a Patreon, but considering how inconsistent I am with my production I'm not sure if I would be able to make that worthwhile for people. Ah well. I hope you enjoy the story anyway. That's all that really matters.
> 
> (Edit: I realized afterwards that the last bit of this message could be taken as snarky and sarcastic, while I meant it sincerely. Reading people's comments and knowing that people enjoyed something I made makes my life seem a lot more worthwhile, and makes it easier to get through hard times like this.)


	12. Interviews

Finn sat down hard in the chair, his presence in the Force simmering with anger. Rey realized it was much stronger than she had noticed before. There were deep waters, there. 

"I have a few questions," Rey said smoothly, trying to soothe his temper.

"We had to get the info out, okay?" He snarled. "It was too valuable.  
Rey blinked. "The... info?" It wasn't what she wanted to talk about, but obviously, he did.

"The specs for the  _Supremacy_ ," he said, obviously irritated. "If we could get BB-8 to our allies, that kind of reconnaissance would be invaluable for a counterstrike."

Rey sat back in her chair. Suddenly the stunt with the Millenium Falcon made a lot more sense. Something about it still bothered her. "Chewie seemed to think he was there for me, but you were surprised when I showed up," she pointed out.

He sighed. "We couldn't risk having the First Order find out we had the plans," he explained. "So we told Chewie it was you that needed extraction."

"You lied," Rey said flatly.

"We... exaggerated?" he tried.

She sighed and let it go. "It doesn't matter. Your heart was in the right place, even if it was monumentally stupid," she teased.

He blinked at her. "You... you're not angry at me?"

"No, Finn. I understand why you want to keep fighting. You've suffered more at the hands of the First Order than most, which is why I wanted to talk to you," she explained.

Finn unfolded his arms. "Talk to me... about what?"

"The Stormtrooper training program," she picked up a datapad from the table and tapped open a new entry for notes. "It seems to me that if I'm going to make the First Order into something resembling an ethical government, that's as good a place to start as any."

He stared at her for another long moment. "Then... this isn't about the escape attempt?" He still seemed very confused.

She smiled. "No, you offered up that information on your own."

He rolled his eyes at himself, and a half-smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You're not half-bad at this interrogation thing," he teased.

She lifted her shoulders a fraction. "I've had the chance to watch a master at work, first hand," she countered darkly.

"Fair enough." He looked down at his hands on the table. "Where do you want me to start?"

"As early as you can. What are your first memories? How old were you when you started the program? Do you remember anything before?" she prompted.

He took a deep breath and shook his head. "Nothing before. I must have been four, maybe five. I don't remember my parents, just the trooper pulling on my arm, dragging me away."

Something clenched in Rey's chest, and she knew then why they had been nearly instant friends. "Go on," she said softly.

He made a helpless gesture. "It's all pretty foggy. I remember crying a lot, and getting in trouble for it. The other kids... didn't tease me exactly, but I didn't really have friends, either. I was always the last one picked for team exercises, that kind of thing. Never really fit in."

Finn sat back in his chair, warming to the topic. "When I got older, it didn't seem to matter if I scored well on tests or exercises. Not that there was a lot of praise going around, but usually your teammates would at least show a little appreciation, maybe some gratitude." He shook his head. "Not to me. I always felt like there was something wrong with me, something they knew and I didn't. I said the pledges and listened to my audio at night, but I didn't really  _feel_ it the way the others did."

"Audio?" Rey prompted.

"They play audio for us at night. It's supposed to make you smarter, learn while you sleep, that kind of thing. Looking back, though, it was mostly propaganda. Brainwashing. It kept me up at night so I'd put my head under the pillow," he grinned as if remembering something funny. "Never fell for pranks at night, either."

Rey considered that. "If the audio is meant to brainwash, it's possible that you didn't get enough of it to be effective," she reasoned.

Finn nodded. "I figured that was probably true. Mostly it starts out reviewing what we learned that day, boring stuff to help us relax, that kind of thing. But I remember waking up in the middle of the night and hearing some creepy stuff, you know? Stuff about sacrificing your life for the First Order, and destroying everyone who stood in our way." He shook himself a little. "If I tried to talk to the others about it, they looked at me like I was crazy. Said I must have been having bad dreams."

After tapping a few notes into her datapad, Rey glanced up to prompt him again. "What kind of exercises did you do in the early years?"

Finn took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Where to start?" he laughed.

"You mentioned team exercises?" she suggested.

He nodded. "Sometimes, we were assigned teams, and sometimes we got to pick," he explained.

Rey listened carefully as he began outlining the training. Some of it was game-like, although the stakes were usually higher than most children's games. But plenty of it was deadly serious, even when they were little. It was unusual, but not unheard of, for kids to die in the primary course. It was far more commonplace in the secondary program that started at age 16, which was run by Captain Phasma. This training continued through the first few official sorties. As such, Finn hadn't really completed his training. He'd failed to follow orders on his first mission, and then gone awol. 

And all of it painted a very clear picture of a coldly efficient program that would take small, malleable children, chew them up, kill the ones who weren't good enough, and spit out highly-trained killers. The terrible thing was, she could see the purpose behind the brutality. The cold efficiency of it startled her. It would be easy to get rid of cruelty that had no purpose, but this... this would be far harder to fight.

* * *

Rose's response to the summons was remarkably similar. She, too assumed that she was to be interrogated about the to-do with the Millenium Falcon, but her stance was almost opposite to Finn's.

"I'm not telling you anything," she said stubbornly, the moment she sat down.

Rey sighed. "This isn't about the escape attempt," she said, half amused, half weary. What time was it? It felt late. "Anyway, Finn told me everything."

Rose slumped a little. "What do you want, then?" she asked sullenly.

"I want to hear about your homeworld," Rey said, trying to sound friendly.

She was treated to a long sideways glance. "...Why?" Rose asked.

"I really am trying to improve the First Order, Rose. In order to do that, I need to hear the worst of what they do. Leia says your planet saw more than it's share of that," she explained soberly.

Rose's gaze turned inward, and Rey felt a wash of grief from the mechanic. "That we did," she murmured.

"I know it's probably hard to talk about, but if you can tell me, it will help prepare me for what I'm going to be dealing with," she encouraged her.

Rose shook her head. "I don't think it's possible, what you want to do. They're... evil."

"Some of them, yes," Rey agreed, surprising her. "I need good arguments if I'm going to convince the Supreme Leader to listen to me instead. I can't rely entirely on my charms," she said drolly.

That got a surprised chuckle out of Rose. "All right, but it's not pretty. I grew up on a mining planet called Hays Minor in the Otomok system, with my sister Paige." Her voice cracked on the name, and Rey sensed fresh, profound grief there. It raised almost as many questions as it answered.

"What kind of living quarters did you have?" Rey asked, avoiding the painful subject.

Focusing on what seemed like unimportant details, Rose began to open up. 

* * *

After she was done interviewing Rose, Rey left the small room to discover that most of the base had found their beds. A corporal on night duty pointed her towards a cot in a tiny storage closet, affording her some semblance of privacy. It didn't have a door, but the cot was behind stacks of barrels, and that was enough. She collapsed into it gratefully.

In the morning, she woke slowly. The base was still quiet, and she guessed she probably hadn't slept long. She was still tired, but she felt something tugging at her, like a half-forgotten memory. 

Between one moment and the next, the foggy feeling solidified into a connection that twanged like a tautened cord, and what little noise there was in the base disappeared.

"Ben?" she murmured.

She felt his stifled rage, as clearly as if it were her own. She'd almost forgotten the immediacy of his feelings when they connected like this. "Why haven't you come back?" he asked, his voice tight.

Rey sat up to find him standing in the corner of the closet. The light on him was all wrong, it came from below rather than the doorway. But he was there, as real and tangible as if he had shuttled down in the night. She felt a sudden thrill - Snoke  _had_ been lying. Surely if he had forged the connection between them, it would have died with him. But she pushed that aside to deal with the issue at hand.

"I'm not done yet," she explained patiently. "I've talked with a few people, but I need to spend a little more time with Leia," she explained. "We had a few... interruptions."

Rey heard the leather of his gloves creak as his fists clenched tighter as he stared at the floor. "I thought for sure you were on the Falcon. The way it was flying - "

She shook her head. "Poe Dameron," she said shortly.

Ben looked up sharply. "Dameron?" His voice ironically mirrored the same disgust Poe had expressed when speaking Ben's name. Rey sensed a strange sense of unspoken rivalry there. He made a sound of contempt. "I should have ordered them to open fire after all."

Rey stood up from her cot and came to stand a handsbreadth away from him. "I'm coming back, I promise," she murmured, wanting to reach out to him, but not sure if it would break the connection. "I just need another day or two. I'll always come back."

He stared down at her with the same searching glance that he had given her in the elevator before they had faced Snoke. "Why?" he asked.

"Because," she moved an inch closer, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. "The vision you had was true. My future is with you, Ben. To stand beside you."

"Because that's where you can do the most good?" he guessed, accurately.

"Because that's where I  _want_ to be," she said stubbornly. "I could probably do a lot more good by killing you, you know. I'm being very selfish by keeping you alive."

That got a small smile from him, as she had guessed it would. "Because you want me?" he guessed lightly as if he didn't dare ask it seriously.

"Yes," she breathed, closing her eyes in exasperation. 

When she opened them again, he closed the gap between them. His next words were spoken so near that his lips brushed against hers. 

"I would destroy the entire galaxy if I thought it would make you want to belong to me."

Something dark thrilled within her, even as her conscious mind rebelled at the thought. Before she could protest, though, he pressed his mouth to hers and claimed a hungry, fierce kiss. His hands came up to hold the back of her head as if to draw her in closer, but this seemed to strain the connection and she felt his touch begin to fade away.

He sensed it too and pulled away. "Come back to me, Rey," he said, his voice just a shade too desperate for it to be an order.

And then he was gone.

But she wasn't alone. Now that the connection had ended, she could hear the sounds of the base waking up, and felt a presence nearby. Turning, she wasn't surprised to see Leia standing in the doorway with two mugs of caf and a very knowing expression.

"So it's like that?" the General asked sardonically.

Rey supposed she should feel embarrassed, to be caught kissing the older woman's son, but she couldn't dredge it up, still too flushed with the pleasure of the connection. "Yes," she said simply.

"Well, that explains a lot," she sighed and shook her head. "Be careful, though. That kind of desire is dangerous. I'm fairly certain it's what destroyed my parents." She held out one of the mugs of caf.

That brought a ghost of a smile to her lips. "He does rather strive to be like his grandfather," she agreed as she took the cup.

"Did you find out what you needed to, talking to Finn and Rose?" Leia changed the subject.

Rey nodded, sipping the bitter drink. She could feel the moment it began to work it's way through her system, giving her a much-needed boost of energy. "I think so. Rose though... I'm worried about her. She's lost someone, her sister, I think, and it's eating away at her. She's not getting better, but worse."

Leia frowned. "Paige wasn't just Rose's sister, if I remember correctly," the General seemed to be raking through her memory. "I think they were twins." She made a pained face. "I can't even imagine. That was why I was always so insistent about finding Luke. Even if I couldn't feel him because he'd cut himself off from the Force, I still knew he wasn't really gone." She thought about it for a moment. "I'll talk to her," she decided. "I'll find the time."

Rey thought she saw why the Resistance fighters were so fanatically devoted to their General. She'd heard the accusation bantered around that the Resistance was just a cult of personality, but she thought it was something more than that. 

"Well," Leia collected herself. "Shall we head to my 'office' and start drafting out this government, then?" she said lightly. Her smile was weary but infectious.

Holding out a hand, Rey returned it. "Lead the way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on posting this, I was home sick from work yesterday so I _forgot it was Saturday._ I'm really worried because getting a cold 3 weeks before surgery is not great, if I'm still sick they won't operate. :(
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy! As always, comments are what keeps me going in these ridiculously awful times. Someday I hope I can look back and laugh about it.


	13. Homecoming

In the end, it took the three full days that Rey had requested to hash out exactly what she would try to convince Ben to do. Leia had mostly let Rey take the lead, letting her say what it was that she wanted to accomplish, and then laying out options on how to go about doing so. She did have a few particularly good ideas which she carefully inserted here and there.

One such suggestion was when they were discussing recruitment options for the First Order Stormtroopers, to replace kidnapping. They'd come up with a few good ideas, when Leia suddenly asked, "What are you going to do with the Force-sensitives?"

Rey blinked. "I hadn't considered that."

The general made a casual, circular gesture with one hand. "You told me Luke doesn't want to continue the Jedi tradition because he thinks it's hubris for the Jedi to claim sole ownership of the Force, yes?"

She nodded.

"Well, then, are you and Ben going to keep it to yourselves?"

That made her frown. "No..."

"So, if you're not keeping the use of the Force a secret, and you're not rebuilding the Jedi order, what will you do?" Leia sat back and let her puzzle out the idea herself. 

"Maybe... if there was... a school?" she thought out loud. "We could test the children in the Stormtrooper program for sensitivity, and offer it as special training?"

"What kind of training?" Leia prompted.

"Something like what Luke taught me. Just the basics, just enough to be able to know what you're doing. No philosophy, no edicts. Just, here's what the Force is, and how to use it," she reasoned.

Leia nodded. "It's a good start. You might want to consult an expert before you go further." Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

Rey caught the look and smiled. "Well, I did steal the sacred Jedi texts. He's probably figured that out by now."

That got a bark of laughter from Leia.

* * *

Once Rey had finally sent a comm to the  _Supremacy_  that she would be returning shortly, Leia took her aside one last time.

"Let me fix your hair," she said, more an order than a request.

There wasn't much in the way of mirrors in the base, and when Rey put a hand up to the braid crown, she was surprised to feel a veritable forest of escaped flyaways. She sat obediently on the barrel Leia pointed to, and let her work. She stared down at her once-white dress, wondering if the red tinging the bottom third was permanent. Probably.

"My mother wore her hair like this often," Leia said softly as she began to re-create the braid across the top of her head.

Rey started. "Your mother?"

"My foster mother, Breha Organa, not my birth mother," Leia clarified. "Although I'm told that Padme Naberrie Amidala was also known for her elaborate hairstyles. No, I meant the queen of Alderaan, not Naboo. She wasn't much for wearing crowns, and this style was her compromise. I wore it sometimes when I wanted to remind the Senate where I came from."

Rey smiled a little, thinking this must have been Ben's line of thinking as well. 

Leia finished her work and stood back, handing her a small hand mirror. Rey checked it, smiled, and thanked Leia.

The General seemed to study her a long time. "Take care of him, Rey," she said softly. The slightest shimmer of tears appeared at the corners of her eyes. "I didn't do a good enough job of it. None of us did. At the time, I thought other things were more important. But he needs someone who will look out for him first." 

Rey felt an echo of those tears prick the back of her own eyes. "I will," she said in a strained voice. Then she hugged Leia, a much tighter, more personal gesture than the brief one she'd offered on D'Qar. "I'll take care of him."

 

* * *

The  _Raddus_  was being repaired, as she had requested. She had plenty of time to study the oblong ship as she held position just outside of the  _Supremacy_ , waiting for every scan known in the galaxy to be completed on her shuttle. It wasn't that they didn't trust  _her_ , she knew, only that the shuttle had been out of her sight for most of the visit to the Resistance base, and therefore vulnerable to tampering.

From here, she could see that the bridge hull had been hastily repaired with mismatched parts - even the  _Supremacy_  didn't carry a stash of Mon Calamari ship parts - and the black, angular look of their ships didn't mesh well with the curving white edges of the craft. But she was confident it would hold, and they could have it repaired more aesthetically later.

The fuel they had so desperately needed was already being loaded into the ship as the last of the repairs were being completed. Soon after she landed, Admiral Holdo would be released and given a skeleton crew to pilot the ship, as well as a handful of transport shuttles. The shuttles would collect the Resistance from the base they were even now packing up, and bring them to the  _Raddus_. Then they would return to the  _Supremacy_ , and leave the now-disbanded Resistance to go where they would.

While the surrender of the Resistance was technically unconditional, Rey had managed to argue that any kind of retribution at this point would give the wrong impression to the Galaxy. If they really wanted peace - and control - they needed to demonstrate that they were capable of mercy, when called for. Even with the fully-powered  _Raddus_ , the Resistance was no threat to them. Wiping them out would be excessive.

General Hux had not been pleased with the idea - it rubbed him the wrong way to let his prey go, she could tell. But she was also more than willing to bet he had arranged for some additional repairs to the  _Raddus_. Explosives, perhaps, or recording devices to spy on them. Probably both. He'd find some way to take advantage of the situation.

It would have to do.

At last, she received clearance from the comm center and began to pilot her shuttle into the small craft hangar she was directed towards. She was more than a little surprised to find a substantial welcoming committee waiting for her. Four squadrons of Storm Troopers, two of TIE Pilots, and enough officers to compromise a seventh squadron awaited in perfect parade formation, half on either side of the marked spot for her to land. At the end of a wide corridor between the ranks stood General Hux, Captain Phasma, and the Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren.

Rey landed her shuttle and pressed the release for the boarding ramp with no little nervousness. She was even more painfully conscious of the way her dress was stained with the red minerals of Crait. It almost looked as if she had been wading in blood, she thought. But then, maybe that wasn't such a bad impression to make after all. She was willing to get her hands dirty to make this work.

Gathering as much confidence as she could manage, she held her head high and strode down the ramp onto the black, reflective floor of the hangar. The corridor seemed to go on forever, and she felt as if she were participating in some kind of ceremony. The squadrons turned and saluted her as she passed, but she kept her eyes trained securely on Ben's face.

His expression was tightly controlled, as usual, but in the Force, she could feel an almost manic joy radiating from him. She had come back to him and he was ecstatic, despite her repeated reassurances that she fully intended to. When she stood well within speaking distance, she stopped, debated saluting, and then decided against it.

"I have obtained the unconditional surrender of General Leia Organa," she announced, loud enough that her voice carried through the hangar. "The Resistance is no more."

General Hux shouted out a two-syllable order that was so loud she couldn't understand it. Apparently, the troops did, though, as they shouted out a unanimous reply, and moved to stand in parade rest.

Ben held out a hand, a reserved smile on his face. She walked forward to take it.

"Well done," he said, his voice pitched for her benefit only, "and welcome home."

Her heart swelled at that, at the thought that this place - as forbidding as it was - could be called her home. It didn't matter that it was the Supremacy. Here, with Ben, was home, at last. 

Before she could even think to reply, though, Ben pulled her hand gently towards him, and then wrapped his arm around her, enveloping her in his cape. Leaning down, he kissed her, slowly and deliberately, in front of all of the assembled First Order troops.

When Rey's mind cleared of the pleasure and emotion of the moment, she realized the implications. He meant to be public about their relationship from here on. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Hux, on the other hand, had clear opinions on the matter. His presence in the force flared with outrage, then surprise, and then disgust. As she pulled away from Ben, she saw him roll his eyes minutely. 

"I see," he murmured snidely so that only they could hear him. "She's your  _right hand_. Of course."

Ben turned to look at him, his blank expression devoid of understanding. Rey, however, had been privy to any number of crude jokes from other scavengers and pilots, and scowled. "You're disgusting," she hissed in reply.

Ben closed his eyes and sighed.

"Oh, no, I'm just terribly familiar with the wiles of women. My very existence depends upon it, after all," he snapped back.

Rey looked at him. Looked  _into_  him. "Do you honestly think your mother, a kitchen worker,  _seduced_ your fat old father? I suppose it's a lot prettier than the truth."

Hux narrowed his eyes. "Stay out of my head."

She shrugged. "You brought it up."

"Stop. Both of you," Ben said firmly. The fact that he did not raise his voice made them both pay closer attention than shouting would have.

Both Rey and Hux became aware of their audience once more. Fortunately, the volume of the exchange was such that the nearest troops probably hadn't heard. Hux's sneer wasn't far out of the ordinary for him, and Rey's more open expression had been facing away from them. The two of them put the effort into calming down.

"I will call a meeting later," Ben informed General Hux. "We will discuss the future of the First Order once the Hand has had time to report and refresh herself."

"Yes, Supreme Leader," he replied, the very picture of obedience. But he cast a knowing glance Rey's way that seemed to say  _I know what's really going to happen_.

She fought the urge to roll her eyes.  _As if_. Now was not the time.

Ben turned to Rey and took her hand, tucking it into the crook of his elbow in an effortless gesture that must have been practiced. "My lady, allow me to show you your new quarters," he said warmly.

"Of course, Supreme Leader," she replied, once again set off-balance. New quarters?

He led her away, and behind them, Hux called the orders to dismiss the troops. 

Rey resisted the urge to scowl at him as the lift doors closed. She would have to talk to Ben about the General's ambitions, but not now. Not where there was a chance that they could be overheard. She turned to begin discussing her plans with Ben, only to be swept into a much more passionate kiss.

After a moment's surprise, Rey reciprocated fully, pressing herself into him, reveling in the feel of his hands against her back, as if he could somehow draw her in closer. Her hands went up to pull at his neck in turn. After a few moments, even kissing wasn't enough, and he pressed her against the wall as the lights of each floor flashed past them.

Leaving her lips, he kissed along the line of her jaw, and then buried his face in her neck, as if he were hiding her and hiding within her. 

"You came back," he whispered.

"I told you I would, stupid," she murmured. But there was no venom in her tone. She knew all too well the agony of waiting and half-knowing that there would be no return. "I'll always come back to you."

He pulled away then, turning quickly from her. She held out a hand, confused, but then heard a distinctive sniff. She lowered the hand and pretended not to notice as he wiped the base of one gloved hand across an eye. Maybe one day he would be comfortable with crying in front of her, but she didn't expect it of him today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love these two idiots so much.


	14. Indulgence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In addition to being the title of this chapter, Indulgence is also a request. I have a few weaknesses when it comes to my writing, and a fondness for designing clothes & living environments and spending entirely too much time describing them is definitely one of them. So I beg your forgiveness for spending so much of this chapter on that, without moving the plot along very much.

At last, the lights of the turbolift began to slow as they approached what must be the uppermost levels of the  _Supremacy_.  The doors opened to a tall, narrow foyer done entirely in black marble shot through with gold. On each of the walls was one door, and bracketing the door on the far wall stood two guards. Each wore a single black pauldron over one shoulder, and she realized the position must have been held previously by the Praetorian guards she and Ben had killed. They would have been quite striking in their red armor.

The guards saluted Ben, but he paid them little attention, pulling Rey by one hand through the door they guarded. Inside, he gestured widely to the expansive room.

Rey blinked. More black marble on the floors, this time clouded with grey that looked like tendrils of smoke. Nearest to them was a pair of black leather couches that faced each other across a rug with a geometric pattern like a star in reds and greys. Beyond that was a two-meter-long slice of ebonwood served as a desk on the right, and very stylish meal-prep station on the left. Touches of vivid red and brushed steel interrupted the black-on-black motif, keeping it from being too monotonous. Beyond the desk and station was an archway hung with curtains that were currently pulled back.

And beyond that was the most enormous four-poster bed Rey had ever imagined. Well, she had told him he needed to get a bigger one.

She glanced back at Ben, who seemed to be surveying the place with a hint of disapproval. "It's still more ostentatious than I'd like," he said ruefully. "I told him simple, he said  _austere_. Better than everything gilded a centimeter thick, though, I suppose."

A second look around the room revealed a number of doors, and before she could ask where they led, Ben seemed to sense her question and hurried to the nearest on the left, just beside one of the couches. When he pressed the access panel, it seemed to create a portal to an entirely different world. 

Rey stepped through, amazed. While the first room had been overbearingly black, this one was white. But as severe as the black room was, this one was soft. It wasn't white, truly, but gentle shades of cream, buff, and sand. The furnishings were gentler - an overstuffed suede couch, with a fluffy fur rug before it, a carved wooden desk as pale and delicate as the ebonwood was dark and rough. This room was much smaller than the first, perhaps a third of the size, although it was still palatial from Rey's perspective. The bed was smaller, too, and not in a separate area. It was low to the ground and had more pillows on it than anyone ever needed.

"This is your room," Ben said proudly.

Rey was immediately struck with two strongly conflicting emotions. The first, her initial reaction, was the disbelieving joy that this beautiful little corner of the ship was all hers. The second came close after, as she realized this meant she wouldn't be sharing a room with Ben. She pushed the second aside and focused on the first.

"It's wonderful," she breathed. "Thank you."

He shrugged, an awkward motion that strongly reminded her of his father, and came to stand next to the couch, trailing a hand along the upholstery. 

Rey was tired and wanted nothing more than to flop down onto the couch and sink into its depths. But she was also painfully conscious, amid all this finery, of just how dirty she was.

"Where's the 'fresher?" she asked lightly.

Ben glanced up, and while he didn't quite smile, his eyes twinkled with some unspoken mischief. "This door goes to the turbo lift," he gestured to one in the same wall as the door they'd come through. "That one goes to your dressing room," he pointed to one on an adjacent wall, "And that's the 'fresher," he nodded to the door just to her right.

Turning, she pressed the access panel, and the door once again seemed to open to another world. Here, at last, was some color. The floor had been paved with tiny tiles in blues and greens, and while the colors were random there was a sort of swirling pattern to the arrangement which led her eye throughout the room. There was another door just opposite, which she guessed led to the privy. A glass-walled 'fresher stood next to that, with the spout directly above the middle, instead of on one wall as usual. It was five times the size of the one in her last quarters. Along the opposite wall was a long, deep counter with two sinks and a mirror all down the length of it. The far end of the room was angled and held a wide window which showed a full quarter of the surface of Crait, with the horizon edge creeping slowly towards night. Below the window was a deep, wide basin. Large leafy green plants stood in pots about the room, giving it the feel of a jungle.

"What's this for?" Rey gestured to the basin, turning back to find Ben just behind her. He'd removed his cape and gloves, leaving them in her room, she guessed.

Instead of answering, he leaned forward and pressed a button on a cleverly-disguised panel. Hot, clean water began to pour out of six separate holes in the walls of the basin. "Would you like to take a bath?" he asked suggestively.

Rey stared down at the basin again. It was certainly big enough to hold the both of them with ample room, but it would take more clean water to fill than she'd ever seen in one place.

"It's going to take a while to fill up," she said evasively.

Now he did smile. "I'm sure we'll think of something to do in the meantime," he murmured. Taking her hand, he pulled her back to the counter, and then hoisted her up onto it. Reaching down, he took hold of a fold of her dress and began pulling it slowly upward.

"Ben, I'm a mess," she half-laughed.

"And I intend to make a bigger mess of you," he practically purred, leaning down to kiss her neck. "And then you can have your bath and be clean." The hem of her dress had reached her knee, and he slid one hand under it, squeezing her thigh gently.

She felt her face color at that. "I... We need to talk about--"

"I don't want to  _talk_ ," he growled, his grip tightening until it was almost painful. "I want  _you_ , Rey."

Her first instinct was to remind him how important the things they needed to discuss were. Then, at quite possibly the most embarrassing time imaginable, Leia's words came back to her.  _I thought other things were more important. But he needs someone who will look out for him first._

And if she were really honest with herself, she wanted this too. Already her heart was racing, and a warmth was beginning to build low in her core. He seemed to sense her wavering, and slid his hand further up her leg until he could brush against her center with the feather-light touch of one thumb.

Rey whispered a rather inappropriate curse in Huttese, and a feral grin spread across Ben's face. He knew he'd won. He nudged her knees apart with his hip, giving his hand better access. His touch was gentle, cautious, and did nothing to quench the sudden fire of want that flared up in her. She whimpered, tilting her hips towards him, her head falling back against the mirror.

With his free hand, Ben made quick work of the clasp of her cape, and it fell away from her shoulders, exposing more of her skin to his kisses. He traced the line of the zipper in the back of her dress and then cursed softly against her lips, pulling back.

She chased after him, and to her surprise he encouraged her, easing her off the counter once more. He made quick work of her belt, laying it and the lightsaber on the counter without escaping her. "Can't get this off you unless you turn around," he murmured between kisses.

Rey lingered on one last kiss, and then turned quickly around. She was startled by the sight of her reflection - she had half-forgotten the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed, and her lips were already swollen from kissing. Ben found the pull for the zipper and drew it slowly downwards, his attention fully focused on the task. Then he looked up, finding her gaze in their reflection and trapping it. He slowly pushed the dress off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.

All at once, Rey was completely exposed to him. Her skin, while not as pale as his, made a stark contrast against the black of his tunic. His eyes devoured her, and his hands came to rest on her hips, pulling her back against him. They wandered up her stomach to cup her breasts, and she moaned, raising her hands to bury them in his hair. Her eyes slid closed, and then flew open again as he pinched her nipples hard, rolling them between thumb and forefinger.

Rey glared half-heartedly at him in the mirror, squirming. "You like me like this, don't you?" she realized aloud.

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "What? Naked and completely at my mercy?" he leaned down and nipped at the curve of her ear before murmuring against her hair, "very much."

She shivered. "Well, I happen to prefer you naked, too," she said teasingly. 

He hummed in agreement. Sliding his hands up her arms, he took hold of her wrists, bringing her hands down until they rested on the counter before them. "Don't move," he whispered.

Rey swallowed and did as she was told. It galled her a bit to take orders like this, but she was curious about this new game. She could sense that Ben needed it, needed to feel in control, even if it was something of an illusion. Her lightsaber was, after all, only a few centimeters from where he had placed one of her hands.

Behind her, he undressed slowly, placing his own lightsaber next to hers. He didn't make a show of taking off his tunic, but almost seemed shy, as if he'd just realized that his choice of location left him almost as exposed as her. 

Reaching out with the Force, she let him feel what she felt - she'd seen it all already, and she'd very much like to see it again. Sooner rather than later. 

She was surprised to see a flush of color wash across his cheeks, but he did pick up the pace. His undershirt and pants joined the tunic on the floor in short order, and she licked her lips at the sight of him. He stepped forward to close the gap between them, the warm, hard length of him coming to rest against the small of her back.

That prompted a small gasp from her - she hadn't realized how badly he wanted her. She moved to press herself back against him, but he leaned over her and pushed her hands back down to the counter. 

"I said, don't move," he whispered slowly. 

Rey shuddered. There was a little more than a hint of threat behind his words. The Darkness swirled around them, as hungry and full of anticipation as they were. Rey wondered if there was something wrong with her that the clinging, oily feel of it made her all the wetter. 

Reaching down, Ben moved so he was pressed against her folds, teasing her with the length of his erection. His gaze dropped to focus intently on what he was doing. She clenched her teeth - she didn't dare close her eyes - and struggled to hold still. Her obedience was rewarded as he entered her, although with agonizing slowness.

When he had filled her completely, he glanced up to catch her gaze once more. A flash of desire passed between them, and Ben cursed, his hips jerking against her involuntarily. She thought he'd meant to do this slowly, but knew that plan wasn't going to last. She fed him her own pleasure through the bond, doubling his, and his grip on her hips tightened as he began to thrust into her harder.

Before long, Rey's legs began to shake, her knees turning to water with the effort of staying still. Ben leaned forward, propping one hand on the counter next to hers and wrapping his arm around her waist, holding her steady. 

The change in angle meant Ben was driving directly against a place deep inside her that seemed to send shocks of pleasure up her spine with each thrust. She cried out, arching into him, and felt herself suddenly careening towards her climax.

"Rey," he groaned, and then muttered a curse, his rhythm becoming more erratic. Her arms gave out and he gently lowered her to the counter, standing up to hold her by the hips so she was aloft on her tiptoes as he pounded out the last of his desire, until he, too, came with a soft cry of surprise. 

They stood that way for a moment, catching their breath and savoring the aftershocks of their pleasure. Taking a deep breath, he pulled away from her, sighing with a shudder. Before she could collapse in a boneless pile on the floor, he leaned over and scooped her up in his arms.

Tucking her head against his shoulder, Rey wondered again why this felt so familiar to her. He carried her to the bath, which had long since finished filling. She thought he would lower her in first, but to her surprise, he stepped over the edge and carefully sat with her in his lap.

The water was warm, but not so hot as to scald, and very relaxing. Once she was settled, he lifted one dripping hand to trace the spot between her brows. "What's troubling you?" he asked.

She smiled. "No trouble, just... when you carry me like that... it seems familiar."

He echoed her smile. "The first time I carried you, the first time I even  _touched_  you, it was like that," he explained.

She turned a bit to face him better, sending ripples through the water. "I thought... the first time we touched was the vision, wasn't it? I mean, other than the fight?"

"Takodana," he corrected. "When I put you to sleep, I carried you to the ship that way. And then from the ship to Starkiller Base."

Rey blinked, trying to remember. She'd been unconscious, of course, and hadn't really thought about it. "I guess I thought you got Stormtroopers to carry me. Or at best, threw me over your shoulder."

He snorted. "Like a sack of yanna-roots? Not likely. I knew even then that you were special. I didn't know yet that you would be mine, but I knew I wanted more of you." He traced the line of her jaw, leaving a trail of water.

Rey wasn't sure what to say. Part of her was a little unsettled by the revelation, but the other part of her knew what he meant. She had felt the same connection, although it had frightened her at first. She'd recognized him from the vision the lightsaber had given her in Maz's cantina, and everything had been happening so  _fast_.

Ben encouraged her to turn around so he could work at loosening her hair. While he did that, she considered how much had changed in the last few weeks. She tried to imagine returning to her life of not so long ago, when she was just a scavenger on Jakku. Pictured telling that former self that in a few short weeks she'd be lounging neck-deep in a tub of hot, clean water while the Supreme Leader carefully bathed her. She suppressed a chuckle. 

"Lean back, sweetheart," he murmured, guiding her with his hands to dunk her hair, now free of the braid, into the water.

She looked up at him from the edge of the water, studying his face. "What am I doing here, Ben?"

He lifted her head again, and she turned over to sit straddling him. "What do you mean?" he asked.

She waved a hand at the unimaginable luxury around them. "I don't belong here. In... all this. I'm... well, you put it plainly, I'm nothing. Just a scavenger."

Scowling, he pulled her down to kiss her briefly, and then tuck her against his shoulder. "That's not what I meant. You are everything to me, Rey. You deserve all this and more." He held her for a long moment, and then whispered, "I'm never letting you go again," more to himself than to her.

Rey glanced up at him, knowing he meant it more for the sentiment than reality. "I'll have more missions I'll need to go on," she said lightly, almost teasing.

"Then I'll go with you," he said stubbornly.

"That would be... impractical," she reasoned, "but I'd enjoy the company."

He made a noncommittal noise and drew his hand up and down her back rhythmically. Rey let herself drowse in the warmth of the water and the improbable but undeniable security of his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week's chapter will be delayed a bit, as Saturday morning will be spent in the hospital recovering from surgery. I should be home by Sunday or at the very latest, Monday, and will post as soon as I am able.
> 
> If you are also an architecture/interior design nut, you can see the floor plan for Ben and Rey's quarters on my Tumblr!


	15. Obligations

Eventually, Rey found that her fingertips were beginning to become wrinkly. Ben assured her that it was normal, merely a result of soaking in the bath for so long. But she found the strange pinching sensation uncomfortable, and anyway, they needed to have a conversation she'd rather be dry and clothed for.

Ben reluctantly agreed and pressed a button which caused the basin to begin quickly draining. A pair of thick, fluffy robes hung conveniently between the 'fresher and the bath, and Ben stood up and reached them easily with his long arms. He shrugged his own on quickly, and then helped Rey to her feet. She felt oddly heavy after floating for so long, like she'd been in the microgravity of space. He wrapped her carefully in the robe and then, sensing her unsteadiness, held her hand as she stepped out of the tub.

As they padded back into her room, she ran her fingers through her hair, finding it tangled by the water once more. "Ugh, my hair's a disaster," she said, then smiled shyly up at him. "Would you comb it out for me again?"

His face lit up. "Actually, I have a surprise for you." He lengthened his stride and hurried over to the pale wood desk. Atop it was a white oblong object, about the shape of an egg but a little more triangular, and the size of someone's head. He tapped the top of it, and it rose into the air, emitting a series of tones. Two optic receptors lit up green, like little eyes in a wide, blank face.

"Greetings, I am DD-6, your Personal Assistant," the droid said in a soothing voice that almost sounded human.

Beside the floating droid, Ben looked quite proud of himself. "She's the latest model. She can do your hair and makeup, keep your schedule, help you choose a dress, take notes, and," he held out a hand to the droid, and a small white datapad slipped out of the side of the droid, "she's synced with this datapad, which is encrypted to work only for you." He held it out for her, and she took it gingerly.

"Would you like me to comb and dry your hair, Mistress?" she asked.

Disappointment that it wouldn't be Ben doing it warred with curiosity, but the latter won out. "Sure." She sat down on the couch, and the droid came to hover behind her, several delicate appendages extending from the sides of her body, armed with grooming tools. Rey was surprised to find that the droid's ministrations were very gentle, and after a moment she hardly noticed the feel of her hair being detangled.

"So," Rey said as Ben came to sit next to her on the couch.

"So," he repeated. "I suppose I can't stall any longer." He frowned.

Rey smiled in turn. "Not unless you want General Hux barging in here, demanding to know what's taking us so long."

He leaned back against the arm of the couch with a smug look. "He won't. That's one advantage of being open about us. He knows  _exactly_ what we've been up to, and therefore knows better than to interrupt."

Rey squirmed a bit, but had to admit it made sense. "Still. Better not to leave him waiting, he seems like he has a temper."

"You could say that," Ben agreed.

She considered the resentful expression on his face. "Why are we keeping him in power? He obviously doesn't like you, and I think he probably has designs on making himself Supreme Leader somehow, probably with the both of us dead. That kind of ambition seems dangerous."

Ben sighed and ran a hand through his wet hair. It was short enough that it seemed to be drying just fine on its own, which made her a little resentful. "He's necessary," he said at last. "My position was outside of the military, and I haven't the slightest clue how to operate it," he admitted. "Do you?"

She shook her head. "Couldn't you promote someone else to his position?"

He shrugged. "I don't know many of the officers well. I could be trading out one problem for another. Better to keep him in power, when I  _know_ what he wants, than to deal with an unknown."

Rey sighed. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?" she guessed.

He nodded. "Something like that. Plus, I have to say, keeping my enemies close seems to have paid off in the past." Reaching out, he toyed with the edge of her robe.

She laughed. "I hope you don't expect the same result with Hux!" she teased.

He made a face and changed the subject. "So, what plans have you crafted for the future of the First Order?"

Taking a deep breath, Rey began to explain exactly what she and Leia had outlined, how to transition the First Order from Military Junta to Galactic Government, and what sort of government that should be. Ben listened quietly, nodding at times, and seemed content to let her lay the whole thing out before asking questions.

By the time she had finished, DD-6 had long since completed combing out her hair and carefully drying it with a small heating element. Her work done, she came to hover just behind the couch, patiently waiting. Rey also got the sense that she was listening carefully to every word.

When she had at last finished, Ben continued to think, his only acknowledgment a nod.

"Honestly, I'm surprised how... cut-throat a lot of Leia's ideas were," she said to fill the silence. 

"I'm not," Ben answered immediately. "Despite her idealism, she's always been pragmatic," he explained. "And she knows me. She knows I'm not going to go for any kind of open-ended promises that rely on the inherent goodness of people," he said sardonically.

"But... giving the crime syndicates free reign on worlds that don't accept our rule..." she shook her head.

"Actually, that's one of my favorite parts." He sat up, his expression brightening. "The Empire liked to pretend they didn't exist, and as long as they didn't steal or attack anything that was in the direct possession of the Empire and maybe some of the more important core worlds, there was no retaliation. This meant the most vulnerable worlds, those on the outer rim, were hit the hardest. The New Republic tried to wipe them out, but scum like that tend to bite back where it hurts the most, and they ended up fighting a dirty war with them. By letting them know up-front we won't interfere with operations outside of systems under our control, we give them an outlet, provide pressure for worlds to join us, and we weed out the truly bad ones."

"How?" Rey asked.

"Some of them aren't going to play along. The ones who have some ethics - what they call 'thieves' honor,' will be happy to hit the worlds we designate. If we have to accept some of their kind in the galaxy, those are the ones we want to flourish. And the ones that aren't willing to capitulate, the really dangerous ones? We'll wipe out indiscriminately." He seemed very enthusiastic about the idea. "That will give the military something to do if we don't have any active campaigns, and a universally hated target to unleash our full power on. That will give other troublemakers a reason to think twice."

Rey frowned. She still wasn't sure she liked it. She'd seen first hand what the syndicates could do - Niima outpost was named for a member of the Hutt Cartel who had founded it, and while she had died before Rey was dumped there, as far as she could tell Unkar Plutt had simply picked up where she'd left off. That said, she recognized that ridding the galaxy of everyone operating outside of the law would be an impossible task, and one that would get rid of less nefarious types like Han Solo had been, too.

"Alright," she said at last. "Anything, in particular, you object to?"

He glanced at her, wary. "The school you want to found. It sounds a lot like the Jedi."

"I know," she admitted. "But there are important differences. Attendance is voluntary, you can leave at any time without renouncing what you've learned. There are no dogmatic restrictions placed on the learners, they're free to live whatever kind of life they choose. And I don't intend to teach them just about the Light."

That got a raised eyebrow from Ben. "Oh?"

Rey chose her next words carefully. "From what Luke told me, which wasn't much, the Jedi seemed to be so abhorrent of the Dark that they didn't even know anything about it. That's dangerous - it's what allowed the Sith to destroy them. And beyond that..." she tried to think how to put it. "I've used the Dark. When you tried to read my mind, when we fought on Starkiller Base. The cave with the mirror-stone, and again when we fought Snoke's guards. It's... heady stuff."

She had Ben's full attention now. He leaned forward, listening to her attentively.

"But... it has its drawbacks. It promises much without naming the price, and using it to fight you feel..."

"Out of control?" Ben guessed.

She nodded. "What Luke did teach me was how important balance is to the Force. Powerful Light, powerful Dark, he said. But if that's true, then isn't it wrong to try to say one is good and one is evil? If both are necessary?"

Ben frowned, considering it.

"It seems to me that if we teach both Light and Dark, then someone using the Force is better prepared to choose for themselves which path it's right for them to walk. Or if maybe both can be used, for different situations."

That seemed to spark an idea for Ben. "Did Luke give you a chance to look at any of the old Jedi texts he had? There was one that mentioned something like that - using the Dark in times of desperation. We used to argue about it."

Rey glanced down. "No, but I uh... I stole them."

He stared at her for a moment, and let out a bark of something that was almost laughter. "You stole them?" he exclaimed gleefully.

"I was really angry at the time," she admitted. "It was right after the last vision with you, when we... when he saw us. I confronted him about what happened between you two. Gave him one last chance to do the right thing and help the Resistance. He turned it down. On my way down to the Falcon I stopped and grabbed all the books. I felt like... like they needed to be somewhere they were used, instead of falling apart inside some old dead tree."

Ben nodded avidly. "Where are they now?"

Her sheepish grin returned. "Stowed away on the Millennium Falcon."

He closed his eyes. "Of course they are," he groaned. Steeling himself, he opened his eyes once more. "But with those books, your plan might actually work. We'll have to get them somehow."

"It's not that hard," Rey said, "I'll send another message to the Falcon and have Chewie bring them by. If we're really at peace, that shouldn't be a problem."

Ben looked uneasy, but couldn't seem to come up with any solid objections.

"Any other objections to the plan overall?" Rey asked.

"Surprisingly, no," Ben shook his head a little. "It's solid, but loose enough that we can make adjustments as we go if necessary. I have to admit I'm also a little surprised she came up with something that suits so well. I thought she'd argue for another democracy."

"Leia didn't really come up with it," she explained. "She asked me what I wanted to accomplish and told me what would work to make that happen. I get the feeling she's not entirely happy with it herself, but is willing to accept it as long as we're at the helm."

Ben took a moment to digest the idea that his mother, incredibly, still trusted him.

"Well, are we ready to present this to Hux, then?" she asked quietly.

He seemed to shake himself. "Almost. One more thing." He stood up and went to her desk, picking up a small black box.

"Another surprise?" Rey guessed.

He grimaced. "Not really. This is your security chip," he explained. Opening the box, he removed a wicked-looking device. An automatic injector, she recognized, with a nasty, thick needle.

Her eyebrows went up. "Where exactly does that go?" she tried not to sound panicked. 

"It's subcutaneous," he said. "Normally it's injected while you're unconscious, so not even you know where it is and it's location can't be tortured out of you. But seeing as you're remarkably resilient to that sort of interrogation," he glanced down for a moment, "I thought it would be better if you chose. That way, if you needed to remove it for some reason, you would be able to."

She scowled. "It won't explode if I remove it?"

He looked taken aback. "It's not a slave chip, Rey. It has a locator, but only so we can find you if something bad happens. It doesn't have an explosive." He stared down at the chip for a moment, as if something had just occurred to him. "This one doesn't, anyway. I saw to its design myself."

Rey could sense he would be doing some digging in the level 9 security information soon. "Why can't I continue to use the voice-activated security system?"

He sat next to her on the couch again, the injector kit held carefully in both hands. "The voice-activated system is really only meant for visiting dignitaries and such, to pacify them without handing over a code cylinder. It's not meant to be used above clearance level 2. And cylinders aren't meant to be used above level 6. It puts the whole ship at risk. It's too easy for a droid to imitate your voice, or for someone to steal your cylinder. All of the highest ranking officers have them. I do, Hux does, a handful of others. It's considered an honor."

Rey snorted but then sighed. "Honor or not, I suppose I do see the sense of it. I imagine it's impossible to detect without the locator code, like slave chips?"

He nodded. "The chip is biotech, and after a couple days there will be no physical sign of its location."

Staring down at herself, Rey tried to determine what the best place to put it would be. Somewhere it wouldn't be too hard to dig out with a blade in an emergency. Pulling open her robe, she pointed to a  spot halfway up her left inner thigh. "Here," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "You sure? That's a sensitive spot."

She glowered at him. "I'm a big girl, I'll manage."

Tilting his head in concession, he took a small packet from the kit and tore it open. Inside was a sterilizing wipe, which he rubbed carefully over the spot she had selected. Next, he took out the injector, placed it carefully, and waited a moment. A green light came on, and the needle lowered into position. It looked even thicker up close, as thick as the insulated wiring she had stripped from many consoles.

Ben looked up at her. "Ready?" he asked.

She nodded and chose to keep her eyes on his face as he looked back down and pressed the trigger. A white-hot flash of pain lanced through her leg, and she jumped, although Ben had braced his free hand against her knee and the needle was already gone. She couldn't help but let out a short, stifled cry.

Ben was already working, grabbing an absorbent pad from the kit and pressing it against the wound firmly. That hurt, too, and she squirmed against it. He glanced up at her, an odd mix of emotions on his face. He didn't like to hurt her, and yet the noises she made were clearly having an effect on him.

"Didi-six," he said in an exaggeratedly calm voice, "please go choose a dress for your mistress to wear."

"Are there any parameters you'd like to put on that request?" she asked politely.

"Something comfortable," Rey said through gritted teeth, "And simple. White."

"Of course, Mistress." The droid turned and headed for the door that Ben had indicated led to her dressing room.

"And take your time about it," he added just as the door began to close once more.

Removing the absorbent pad, Ben checked to make sure the bleeding had slowed. He wiped it gently, and then fished another packet out of the kit. This one turned out to be a small bacta patch. He peeled the backing off and applied it carefully, smoothing it with a swipe of one thumb. He kept his hand on her leg and bent down to kiss the skin of her thigh just next to it.

She drew in a sharp breath. "What are you doing?"

He moved his hand, hooking it under her knee and pulling her so she lay along the length of the couch. "Making you forget the pain," he murmured as he kissed her leg again, this time higher up. His hands found the ties of her robe, pulling them apart and opening the fabric, exposing her to him. 

Her next gasp was decidedly more pleased, as he kissed a far more sensitive spot, and began to do just as he'd promised. He worshipped her with lips and tongue, driving her to distraction by teasing her with just enough pleasure to keep her going, until she thought she would go mad without release. She wound her fingers in his curls, wordlessly demanding more by pulling him closer, but he only chuckled against her slickened skin.

Eventually, just when her frustration started to outweigh her enjoyment, he took pity on her, slipping two fingers into her folds and finding that same spot that he had discovered earlier, stroking it gently. It was more than enough to set her off, and this time her cry was quite a bit louder, and more enthusiastic by far.

Ben continued to lap at her for a moment longer, letting her down easy. Then he sat back and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, before moving over her to kiss her hungrily. For a moment, she thought he would continue, but instead, he pulled back and stood from the couch. He stared down at her, looking inordinately pleased with himself.

"When you can walk," he said in a teasing voice, "I'll meet you in the main room and give you the rest of the tour." And with that, he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry it's taken me so long to get this up. My surgery was delayed a little, but it went great. Recovery has been a little harder than I anticipated, but I'm starting to bounce back. Not being able to sit up has been a bit of a challenge - need to get me a standing desk or something! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and you can expect the next on Saturday as usual.


	16. Gifts

Huffing, Rey sat up, feeling a bit dizzy. She stood, finding that while her legs were a little unsteady, she was perfectly capable of walking, thank you very much. She picked up her new datapad and went to the dressing room to see what DD-6 had gotten up to, noting that discretion had certainly been programmed well into her processors. Based on what Ben had said about needing help choosing dresses, she guessed he'd had a few more made for her while she was gone. While she was a little overwhelmed by this excess, it seemed small compared to all the luxury around her.

Until she walked into the room. All along one very long wall of the room hung dresses--literally dozens of them--and all along the other were drawers and shelves full of accessories and she knew not what else. The dresses were arranged by color, with pure white closest, black further away, and ones with both in between. Beyond the solid black ones were a few gold pieces, encrusted with embroidery and what looked like, but surely couldn't be, jewels.

She was absolutely floored. There was a padded stool near the one window and the full-length mirror beside it, and she sunk onto it in a sort of shock. 

DD-6 came floating towards her, a dress on a hanger suspended beneath. "Will this one do, Mistress?" she asked politely.

Reaching out, Rey fingered the fabric of the dress. It was soft and a little stretchy and looked like it would be reasonably warm. The dress was very simple, a wide scooped neckline and a high waist above a skirt that fell straight down, although as she drew it to her it revealed deep pleats to add fullness. The sleeves were long, almost as long as the dress, but were slit up to the elbow.

"It's perfect," she said softly. "Thank you, you did great." Standing once more, she took the dress from the hanger and slipped it on over her head. The droid floated around her, making sure that everything fell into place correctly. That done, she drifted over to a shelf and removed a small box, bringing it back.

"Might I suggest this to go with it?" she said as she set the box in Rey's hands.

Rey opened the box and found before her a gorgeous jeweled necklace. She didn't have any experience with gems, couldn't even name the blue-green stones, and could only guess at the pale metal setting, but her mind reeled trying to calculate the value anyway. A thousand portions? Two thousand? She snapped the box shut.

"I... this is much too extravagant. I'm just going to a meeting with General Hux," she explained.

The droid's optical sensors turned off and on, giving the impression of blinking. "Something simpler, then? A large piece would best compliment the neckline of the dress."

Rey sighed. "Didi, how much do you know about me?"

"I know that you are the Right Hand of the Supreme Leader, that you come from Jakku, and that you have some training in the use of the Force," she explained.

"Do you know much about Jakku?" 

The droid took the box from her and put it back in its place. "Jakku is a desert world on the western reaches of the outer rim," DD-6 recited. "It has a primitive economy and not many settlements."

"That 'primitive economy' consists mostly of scavenging materials from the ships that crashed on it," Rey said. "I was a scavenger, for my whole life, until just a few weeks ago. All this," she waved a hand at the dresses, "is all very new and overwhelming to me."

The droid considered her for a moment. "All of your clothes have been designed to facilitate fighting," she commented.

Rey nodded. "I like it that way. I like everything to be pragmatic and purposeful. I would be happy to go about in simple training gear, but I understand in my current position, that would give the wrong impression."

The droid nodded, bobbing up and down a bit. "So what is the impression you'd like to give today?"

She thought about it. "General Hux knows the... nature of my relationship with the Supreme Leader, and does not entirely approve. It's important that I don't look alluring or like I'm a decoration. Just enough to make me look respectable, nothing too feminine. The dress is enough for that."

DD-6 considered the request. "Would an outfit with pants suit the situation better? I can have some made quickly."

"Not for today, this really is fine," Rey said quickly. "But that might be good for the future. Black, I think, and something sharp to wear with them."

A series of lights flashed along the bottom of DD-6's 'face,' looking a bit like a smile, as she processed the order. Then she hovered off to retrieve another box from the shelves. "Perhaps this instead?" she suggested.

Rey opened the box to find a length of thick, braided gold chain that almost looked like entwined ropes. It was heavy, but not too flashy. "Better, yes."

Darting forward, DD-6 picked up the chain and, holding Rey's hair aside with a third arm, affixed it around her neck. Rey turned to look at it in the mirror. It hung about halfway between the base of her neck and the collar of her dress. She nodded her approval.

"What about your hair?" the droid asked. "You can look at your datapad for a few styles I suggest."

Rey glanced down at the datapad where she'd set it absently on a shelf. Picking it up, she found four different styles laid out in lined diagrams. Most involved complex braids, but one was a simple looped bun that held up only half her hair. "This one," she tapped the design. 

DD-6 opened a drawer and took out a few fasteners, and then got to work on her mistress's hair. Rey watched her work in the mirror, fascinated by how quickly she moved, considering how gentle she was. Within minutes, she had recreated the design without a single hair out of place. 

"I imagine for your makeup you would like something natural," the droid said as she put the finishing touches on, adding a small gold collar about the base of the bun that matched the necklace.

"If it looks natural, why bother?" Rey asked.

"Trust me, Mistress," DD-6 said, "It will make you look more put-together. If you don't like it, you can wash it off."

"All right," Rey agreed.

The droid came around to hover in front of her face. "Close your eyes, please."

Rey did so, and did her best not to fidget under the tickling of brushes and tools. It took DD-6 only a moment, and then the droid moved back.

"There," she said, with a satisfied tone to her mechanical voice.

Opening her eyes, Rey examined the difference. It wasn't much, but it certainly changed the impression. Her eyebrows were sharper, her eyes looked brighter. Her lips were just a shade darker, and her cheeks had a glow to them. She was surprised to see her freckles were still visible, and said so to DD-6.

"The Supreme Leader programmed me to leave them visible if at all possible," her new assistant explained. "Would you like me to countermand that order?"

Rey smiled. "No, that's just fine."  _So he likes my freckles,_  she thought, pleased. "Is that everything?" she asked.

The droid backed up and gave her a once-over. "Just the slippers," she said, and moved back to a drawer to extract them. Once Rey had them on her feet, the droid bobbed her approval. "Would you like me to take notes for your meeting?" she asked.

"Yes, please," she handed the datapad back. "Let's go find the Supreme Leader," she said with a hint of humor. "I have a few words to say about our budget."

Rey strode back through her bedroom, taking a moment to admire it, a small smile on her face, and then went back into Ben's rooms. He was waiting behind his enormous desk, fully dressed with a datapad in hand, looking like he'd been there for ages. She didn't buy it. 

He stood, smiling and looking her over. "You look wonderful," he said, but there was some reserve to his tone.

"But?" Rey asked.

He ducked his head for a moment. "I like you a little messy better," he admitted. 

She raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm glad I didn't let Didi have her way then," she said archly. "She wanted me to wear a necklace that looked like it could have paid for a fleet of shuttles."

Ben's expression twisted into something between amusement and dismay. "You don't like my gifts?"

Rey sighed. "Whether I like them or not isn't the point. Where did you get all that?"

"Everything is from the stocks aboard the  _Supremacy_ ," he reassured her. "Snoke really had meant the ship to be a world unto itself, and apparently stocked it for his own comfort and the potential for hosting many important guests. The dresses were made to fit you, but from existing fabric stores."

That made her feel a little better. In a way, it was a very glamorous sort of scavenging. "And the gems?"

He made a dismissive gesture. "You know many worlds won't take credits," he said off-handedly. "There's a stock of gems and precious minerals for bartering."

Rey thought about that a moment. "How much value do we have on board?" she asked slowly.

He rattled off an astronomical number of credits that meant absolutely nothing to her. Seeing her blank look, he seemed to search for words. "More than the entire value of Jakku," he settled finally, "Even with all the old Empire tech brought back to full function."

Feeling a little lightheaded, Rey turned to look at the room. Suddenly the opulence didn't seem quite so excessive. Coming around the desk, Ben came to stand before her and tilted her chin up, forcing her to look into his eyes. "I don't care about it," he said, with the conviction that only someone born to wealth could have. "Except that it means you will never want for anything, and will never spend another night hungry or lonely again."

Her throat felt tight, and there was a burning behind her eyes. She wondered how he knew, and then remembered - he'd seen it. He'd felt that aching emptiness when he'd gone digging around in her head for the map. And this is what he chose to do with that knowledge. Before she could dissolve into a sobbing mess, she plastered a smile on her face and managed to say, "You promised to finish the tour?"

He brushed his thumb along the line of her jaw and then released her chin. "That I did." Taking a few steps through the curtained doorway, he gestured broadly to the bedroom. "My room," he said shortly. There were rounded couches on either wall beyond the arch, a few plants, and the enormous bed. She got the feeling he didn't like it. Considering who he'd inherited it from, she couldn't blame him.

She nodded, and he moved on, walking back past his desk. "That's my dressing room," he pointed to a door next to it, opposite the one that must lead to the 'fresher. That solved the mystery of how he'd gotten in place so quickly. He kept going and came to another door. "This is the training room," he announced as it opened, and they passed through.

It was one long, open room, the size of her bedroom and dressing room together, devoid of all furniture. Along the wall hung a variety of weapons - she recognized a few as having belonged to the Praetorian guards - and the floor was a padded, spongy substance that would make falls more comfortable. There was a door on the other end that she guessed led to the foyer, and another closer to them. She was drawn to this door, and drifted towards it while he was still admiring the weapons collection.

It opened to a small room, with the same large diagonal window the 'fresher had in reverse. There were low seats, like broad padded stools before it. But what drew her was on the other side of the room. A white plinth stood with a closed case atop it. Whatever lay inside it called to her, whispering secrets she couldn't quite hear. 

Ben followed after her, and he watched her expression for a moment. Then he stepped forward and pressed the button to open the case. Inside was a twisted mess of plasteel that looked something like a black skull. Revealed, the whispering stopped, and it simply radiated a wordless, complicated mixture of Darkness shot through with Light.

"It belonged to my grandfather," he said quietly.

She recognized it then: a mask. She could see how it was similar to the one Ben had used to wear and she wondered, absently, what had become of that one. "I thought you wanted to let go of the past," she replied softly.

He made a pained face. "Maybe it's better to remember some of it, so we don't repeat mistakes," he temporized.

She nodded, satisfied, and pressed the button to close the case once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter without much plot, but I promise I'll more than make up for it next week. Still recovering from surgery, not as quickly as I'd like, and I'll have to go back to work on Monday. But I still have a bit of a buffer, and I've actually been working on an illustration I should have ready in time for next week's chapter! 
> 
> I have to say, reading all of your comments has been a huge pick-me-up while I'm feeling miserable. I can't tell you how much it means to me to hear your thoughts and know that I'm not just chucking this story into the void. <3


	17. Politics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now before anyone gets in a tizzy about if I'm trying to represent some kind of argument about modern politics, please understand that the disagreement presented in this chapter is central to literally every government ever - trying to find the balance between providing benefits for citizens vs. how to supply those resources. I'll say more after the chapter but I just wanted to let you know up front this isn't (intentionally) patterned on current issues.

General Hux had replied to the summons from the Supreme Leader that he was ready whenever they were. Ben had sent him the location for the meeting, a room in what he called "The Commons" and they set off as well. It was a short trip for them - just a few floors down on the turbolift. The doors opened to a broad room, too wide to be a hallway, too long to be anything else. It was currently empty but for them, but it could have easily accommodated thousands. A line of windows on the far-distant ceiling let in the reflected light from the surface of Crait, illuminating a series of doors on either side, and in the middle, something Rey had only heard about.

A series of large, stacked basins, with cool, clean water bubbling up from the top and dripping from one to the next, the sound of it gently filling the room. A fountain. 

She stared at it long enough that Ben stopped in his progress to the appointed room, turned back, and lightly grasped her elbow. When she looked up, his eyes were amused. "You like it?" he asked.

She nodded and reluctantly left with him. They entered one of the large doors to find Hux already waiting at the long, polished table within.

Rey only just suppressed a snort. They had both tried to pull the same trick - they weren't as different as they thought.

The general stood and executed a perfect salute. "Supreme Leader, My Lady," he said with a deference that bordered on sarcastic. "I trust you are... refreshed?"

Rey refused the bait and merely smiled, taking his words at face value. "Very much. Thank you for your patience, General."

Ben, in his direct way, chose to simply sit at the head of the table, leaving them to take their places. Rey sat to his right, Hux to his left, so they faced each other across the table.

"After much consideration, we have decided that the best course of action moving forward is to establish the First Order as a dictatorial federation," Ben said shortly. "Unlike most federations, participation will not be voluntary. Systems which refuse to capitulate to our rule will be stripped of value and left for the bandits." 

Rey smiled, impressed. His use of "We" could easily imply she was included in the decision, or merely be the royal plural sometimes used in basic.

Hux folded his hands on the surface of the table. "Well, that sounds reasonable thus far. At least we won't be dealing with the mess of a democracy," he sneered.

"I'm not certain democracy can work on a galactic scale," Rey put in ruefully. "Even with a Republic where billions are represented by one senator, that still leaves millions of voices arguing."

Hux gave her a look somewhere between appreciation and alarm. "Quite right," he murmured. "What about rule at the stellar and planetary level?" he asked.

"That is left to the people to decide, as long as their laws fall within the parameters of the First Order Federation," Ben said. "That way people clamoring for democracy can have one, on the local level."

The General looked very much as though he was waiting for the proverbial other shoe. "And what are those parameters?"

Ben glanced to Rey.

"We can get as detailed as we like, but at the core there should be a list of personal rights. This makes it look like the government is for the good of the people," she explained.

"Coy. I like it. What exactly does that entail?" Hux pressed.

"Thus far, the main three are the rights of autonomy, provenance, and security. The right of autonomy makes the most basic forms of slavery illegal - each sentient being will be given the right to determine their own course."

This was where she expected to lose him, and he did smile condescendingly, but his next words were not what she expected. "What about droids?"

"Droids?" Rey repeated dumbly.

"Yes. How do you define 'sentient?' Many droids are self-aware and far more mentally advanced than any organic life form," he pointed out. "Droid revolts are a common problem on worlds where they outnumber organics. That is why the First Order has always chosen to depend on a largely organic workforce, despite the increased resources required to fuel it."

Rey was absolutely flabbergasted. Not so much that Hux had objected, but that his objection was constructive. She couldn't tell yet if he genuinely was trying to make this work, or if he was just proving he was smarter than her.

"That is an excellent point," Ben said at last. "We will have to be very careful about the wording of the rights to be sure it does not apply too broadly."

Hux nodded. "Go on," he looked to Rey expectantly.

"Provenance means the basics of survival. Nutrients, shelter, education, medicine," she explained.

Now Hux made a dismissive snort. "And where are we going to find the resources for that? The task you suggest is monumental!"

"The majority of the inner core and mid-rim worlds are either self-sufficient or already have established trade routes that can easily provide for all of their inhabitants if the local governments administer it fairly. The outer rim and western reaches can be aided with taxes from the other worlds," Ben pointed out.

"And from resources stolen from worlds that won't capitulate," Rey added.

That, at last, got his attention. "A rather neat motivation," he conceded. "Still, you're talking about an administrative nightmare."

Rey tilted her head to the side in concession. "It will certainly be one of the more complex parts of ruling the federation," she admitted. "But if we focus more on ensuring that local governments uphold it than administering it ourselves, that should make it a little easier."

Hux looked like he had more to say, but chose not to share it. "And security?"

"Security means protection from the disruption of their way of life. Humanitarian aid in times of natural disaster, and military protection from crime syndicates and the like," Rey finished.

"You can't possibly think you can rid the galaxy of the syndicates?" Hux said incredulously.

"Of course not," Ben said sharply. "But we can certainly let them know where we won't bother them."

The General looked at him sharply, and it clicked. He actually let out something like a laugh. "I see. We won't even have to try to get new worlds to join us. The poor will come crawling for food, and the rich begging for protection."

"Precisely," Ben agreed.

Rey held her breath, not liking the tone of it one bit, but hoping that it would at least convince Hux.

The General mulled it over a bit, and then shook his head. "The Right to Provenance is too much. We cannot possibly provide food  _and_  shelter  _and_  education  _and_  medicine. Even providing one of those things would be extremely taxing. And anyway, if you give the population everything, they'll just sit around on their asses all day. Any good commander knows that keeping your troops a little hungry keeps them sharpest. The galactic economy will collapse."

Rey frowned, not the least of which because she knew some of what she said was right. "There will always be a market for non-essential goods," she argued. "I spent over a decade of my life living in an overturned AT-AT, barely managing to scrape together enough food to eat. But every second I wasn't spending on survival was spent in front of a flight simulator I'd patched up. Anything to distract me from the monotony." She almost added  _and_ _loneliness_ , but caught herself.

Again, another startled, assessing look from Hux. "What about the right to  _access_  to these things - make governments responsible for finding jobs for everyone where they can earn the means to purchase those necessities?" he argued.

She frowned. "What about those who can't work? The sick, the elderly, the disabled?"

He waved a hand dismissively. "A drain on resources."

That, finally, angered her more than any pointed jab. His absolute lack of concern enraged her. "You're talking about the galaxy's most vulnerable citizens!" she cried.

"Exactly. Vulnerable, as in: weakness. Something to be gotten rid of," he sneered. 

"See, that's exactly the kind of attitude that makes people hate the First Order." She gestured out the window at Crait behind him. "That kind of heartless cruelty is what gets you rebellions! To just throw away people like useless scrap, the weak, children--"

"Oh no, children can be very useful," Hux cut in. "They are a resource in and of themselves," he snapped gleefully.

"And that's another thing!" Rey stood up, pointing a finger at the General. "This kidnapping children thing has got to stop! You can't just steal people's kids!"

"Oh, but I can. I've built an entire military by doing so!" He stood as well and gestured sharply to the ship around them. "We never would have gotten here without it!" 

She huffed. "You know what I mean! The First Order can't be something that strikes fear into the hearts of its own citizens! We have to show mercy to gain any kind of loyalty!"

"You speak of  _mercy_ ," Hux sneered, the word sour on his lips. "We have nearly the entire galaxy at our feet and you want to coddle them!"

"Yes!" Rey was exasperated. "If we show them mercy now, they will love us for it."

"Fear is a far better devotion than love," Hux spat back. "Better that we demonstrate our might and leave them shaking in their boots, too frightened to revolt."

Rey threw her hands in the air. "That's  _exactly_ how you get a revolution. Some group of idiots is going to think they have a chance against us, regardless of whether they do or not. Find someone with good charisma and a little tug on the Force, and suddenly you've got another batch of rebels on your hands."

Ben looked at her sidelong, not sure how he felt about his mother being mentioned in such a fashion.

Rey wasn't done. "All you are is a bully, who's convinced you have the  _right_ to rule because you're bigger and meaner than everyone else."

"Exactly!" Hux banged his fist on the table. "Haven't you heard? Might makes right."

Rey couldn't even think how to respond. She couldn't process the fact that he actually  _believed_ that aphorism.

"That's it," Ben said softly.

They both froze like two children caught misbehaving, but the Supreme Leader's gaze was far afield.

"Mercy and Might," he murmured.

Rey sat down, feeling the Force begin to swirl around them. Ben was on to something. "What is it?" she asked him.

Ben looked up, his gaze cutting to Hux. "General, it's time you had a promotion."

"What?" Rey demanded.

Hux just looked smug and resumed his seat.

"I am appointing you as  _Left_ Hand of the Supreme Leader. The Hand of Might," he announced. "You will be responsible for enforcement of the First Order's edicts when it requires violence." Turning to Rey, he smiled. "And you shall be the Right Hand of the Supreme Leader, the Hand of Mercy. Your role is to ensure our edicts are carried out when it requires aid or support."

The newly appointed Left Hand crossed his arms and regarded the Right across the table. "You're talking about military action. Planetary invasion, dismantling of governments, that sort of thing."

"Yes," Ben agreed. "Do you feel you are unqualified for this position?"

Hux's eyes snapped to Ben. "No." He considered the offer very carefully, glancing suspiciously between the two of them. "But then what role, precisely, remains to the Supreme Leader?"

Ben smiled and leaned back in his chair. "I decide which one of you is appropriate to use in any given situation. And I act as figurehead - all the tedious representational work, appearances, issuing edicts, et cetera. All disputes that otherwise cannot be settled will be done so by my decree."

There was a moment of quiet as they all considered the arrangement. It might actually work. 

Rey spoke first. "I still have ethical concerns about the stormtrooper training program," she said. "I want to conduct an investigation and make recommendations."

Hux stiffened. The training program was his pride and joy, Rey knew.

"Is there something you'd like to request in turn?" Ben suggested calmly.

"We must put some kind of limitations on the Right to Provenance," he said firmly. "We cannot hand everything out for free. There has to some impetus to earn a living."

Rey scowled. Why did he have to be so damn reasonable? She knew the answer, of course, could sense his hidden excitement. He was very, very close to getting exactly what he wanted - full control of the military force of the First Order.

"Perhaps if we consulted some leading economists as to what would be best?" Ben suggested further. "We'll need to hire experts anyway, to oversee it."

Reluctantly, Rey nodded. "If we can find someone as impartial as possible," she reasoned.

Hux made a gesture of concession. "A dusty old academic of some sort, someone who is used to looking at numbers, but not faces, but still prides themselves on their sense of ethics."

"That could work," she agreed. It sounded awfully specific, and she thought he probably had someone in particular in mind.

"Good. Then this is settled," Ben stood from his chair.

Rey and Hux remained sitting for a moment, still examining each other carefully. They both knew that it wasn't as simple as Ben imagined it to be, but Hux had what he wanted for the moment and Rey was willing to compromise to make things work for Ben's sake and the sake of the Galaxy. As long as Hux didn't try to play dirty, it just might work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here's more info on the arguments between Hux and Rey. Rey has a very idealistic idea of government. She sees it as existing to make life for the galaxy better, and she's not wrong. She's come from a fairly rough background and as such would like to see those like her offered a hand up. Hux, on the other hand, while he had a really rough childhood for other reasons, has come from wealth. He's also had the experience of being in on the day-to-day expenses of running a military with millions of people in it (the Supremacy alone has a crew of 2,225,000). So he has a more realistic idea of what can be accomplished and lacks the emotional motivation to help out the least privileged of the galaxy.
> 
> Many, many, many different arrangements have been created to solve this problem - every single government handles it differently. The solution presented in this story is one popular to dictatorships - by providing at least nominal services to the poor, they gain a great deal of loyalty. Whether or not they actually administer those services as promised is another question. Still, when the government puts bread on your table and makes sure you can have medicine when you're sick, the majority of citizens really don't care what else they do unless it gets really horrific.
> 
> In other news, I'm back at work (remotely) and it's awful. I need to get something else lined up ASAP because honestly, I can't even understand how the company I work for is still in business (and they really shouldn't be). I really just want to quit, I'm so tired of doing the work of 3 people and lying to customers all the time, but with the surgery bill coming I'm not in a place financially where I can be without a job for anything more than like a week. I'm considering starting a Patreon to try to cover some of it, but I honestly don't know if anyone is interested. It would mostly be fan art, illustrations, and original writing. Please let me know if that appeals to you so I can decide if there's enough of a market to make it worthwhile.


	18. Nostalgia

Before departing, Ben, Rey, and Hux agreed to a time in two days to meet with a more fleshed out plan. The promised meeting would last most of the day and possibly longer. Rey was not particularly looking forward to it.

Nor was she looking forward to what she had to do next.

As Hux made his way to the turbolift, Rey drifted back towards the fountain. The rim of the bottom pool was broad and about knee-height, so once the General was out of sight she sat on it. Ben sat down at a small distance and watched as she trailed her fingers through the water.

"What's troubling you?" he asked quietly.

"I'd like to start studying the Jedi texts before the next meeting. I want to know if there's a specific test to detect Force-users that we can employ to find trainees," she said. 

Ben nodded and thought about it. "I never saw anything like that, Skywalker always took on trainees who had already demonstrated some ability, usually in times of crisis. But there were several books which I was not allowed to read," he reasoned. He waited patiently for her to go on.

She decided to get right to the point. "Which means we'll need to get them from the  _Falcon._ " 

"Ah." Ben looked down into the rippling water. "Could you... ask for them to be shipped to us?"

Rey shook her head. "I wouldn't risk it. Either the Falcon needs to come here, or we need to go to wherever they are now."

"They?" He looked back to her. "Who else is aboard?"

And there was the crux of it. "Poe Dameron."

He winced and looked away again. "Of course," he muttered under his breath. 

Rey wasn't surprised by the anger and guilt she felt coming from Ben. What did surprise her was the resentment and... jealousy? Perhaps more had happened between Poe and Ben than the torture the pilot had mentioned.

"I'll need to send a secure encrypted message to them, and I'd prefer it if the code was wiped from the computer banks afterward," she pushed on.

Ben stood up and held out a hand. "That won't be a problem," he told her. "We'll use the communications array in the old throne room. It hasn't been moved yet."

* * *

Rey was surprised to discover that the throne room was several levels lower than the Commons, and quite a bit forward. Somehow she had imagined it to be at the top of the ship. She needed to spend some more time studying the schematics, she supposed.

It was strange reentering the room. So much had changed here, not only for her and Ben, but for the whole galaxy. The floor had been cleaned until it once more gleamed like a dark mirror, and the remaining tatters of the red hangings had been cleared away. This afforded an incredible view of space around them, so much that Crait didn't look very large at all.

Seeing her gaze up at the planet, Ben said, "We'll be moving to another sector soon, for security, so it's good that we do this while we're still here."

A thrill of excitement ran up Rey's spine. They could go anywhere, see any part of the galaxy they wanted. Staring up at the stars on Jakku, she'd only dreamed of finding her family. Now, she was surprised to find that longing had faded away, replaced by the reassurance of Ben's presence. When had that happened?

Looking around, she found that the throne Snoke had sat upon was in the process of being dismantled, and railings had been erected around the dangerous dropoffs. "What's the plan for this room?"

"Observatory," Ben stated, walking to the apparatus with the giant magnifying glass where Snoke had forced her to watch the destruction of the Resistance fleet. "It's not practical for audiences of more than a dozen people. There's a room in the commons that can hold several hundred that we'll use instead. And there's the assembly hall, of course."

"Assembly hall?" Rey asked.

"It's like an arena. Seats 200,000. Should be good for edicts and speeches and the like. Snoke wasn't one for public appearances and usually had Hux do that sort of thing." As he explained, he typed in some commands to the console.

"Is he any good at it?" Rey asked.

Ben gave her a knowing look. "If you enjoy being shouted at."

Rey suppressed a laugh. He stepped away from the console and gestured for her to take his place.

"Anything entered in the next five minutes will not be recorded," he said.

"Thanks." She set to work, typing in the encryption and her message. She hesitated a bit on the wording, but it was a small window so she stuck to the facts.  _Please come to Crait. Need special cargo. Aboard Supremacy_. Chewie would know what she meant by the special cargo, and that would have to do.

After a few moments, a simple affirmative response came through. They were coming.

* * *

Rey watched as the  _Millenium Falcon_  dropped out of hyperspace between Crait and the Supremacy. She stood in the hangar that had been prepared to receive the ship and could see everything out of the magnetized atmospheric barrier.

"You don't have to do this with me," she said quietly.

Ben continued to seeth next to her, his emotions dripping off him like sweat. "I'm not letting you go on board alone," he answered.

She sighed.

They waited as the  _Falcon_  was scanned. A lieutenant near them put one hand up to his ear and then approached them warily. "Supreme Leader, My Lady, sensors report that the ship is carrying explosives. Not enough to truly damage the _Supremacy_ but enough to cause some serious trouble."

Ben turned to look at her pointedly.

"May I have a comm unit, patched through to the vessel please?" she asked.

"Of course, My Lady." The lieutenant turned to a nearby stormtrooper, who nodded wordlessly and jogged off to follow her order. Once the comm unit was retrieved, Rey held it up to her face and resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

" _Millenium Falcon_ , this is Rey, Right Hand of the Supreme Leader. Our sensors have detected a small quantity of explosives on board your ship. Would you consider temporarily jettisoning them before docking with the  _Supremacy_? We will ensure their safety in the meantime so you can retrieve them later."

"No can do, Lady," came Poe's response, his voice tinged with humor. "That's our current cargo on a shipping run. Can't risk losing the merchandise."

Rey didn't need the Force to tell that this was a ruse. The explosives were their insurance against the ship being taken. She glanced at Ben, who looked annoyed. "Will you then consider allowing a shuttle to dock with you instead?"

"My Lady--" protested the lieutenant, but Ben waved a hand to silence him, glaring at her as well.

"That should work just fine. Who's coming aboard?" Poe replied.

She glanced at Ben. "I'll be coming with a single escort," she reasoned.

"We'll prepare for two to board then," Poe promised and signed off.

Rey turned to Ben. "Who would you recommend for my escort, Supreme Leader?" she asked diplomatically.

"You know damn well I'm going with you," he growled. Taking her by the elbow, he made a beeline for one of the nearby shuttles. With his anger fueling his long-legged stride, she had to half-jog to keep up. Once aboard, he threw himself into the pilot's seat and began punching in the prelaunch sequence with far more force than necessary.

Calmly sitting in the copilot's seat, Rey sat back and did not interfere. Ben was angry, but he was also determined. Better that than dread. 

It didn't take long to reach the Falcon and dock at the starboard airlock. While Ben completed the standby routine, Rey went to open the hatch.

Poe was waiting for her on the other side. "Hey, handygirl, how's it going?" He reached through and gave her a hand over the hatchway. "How's the babysitting gig going? Any Supreme Temper Tantrums lately?"

Panicked, Rey hissed, "No, but we might have one right here and now if you don't shut up!"

She glanced meaningfully back to the shuttle to see Ben already standing there, glaring. To his credit, Poe held his ground, his grin barely wavering. He did break out in a visible sweat though. There was a long, tense silence as Ben ducked through the hatchway, until the three of them stood in the crowded boarding ramp.

"Supreme Leader," Poe said, dipping his head deferentially.

"Commander Dameron," Ben said back, surprisingly diplomatic.

Poe's smile turned bitter, and he gestured for them to follow him into the ship. "Just Dameron, now. With the Resistance disbanded I don't hold any rank."

Rey could feel a sense of loss from him. "Don't suppose I could offer you a job? You'd probably be a great flight instructor."

"What, and take orders from General Hugs?" he joked. "Think I'll pass. Besides, I'm not sure I could teach what I do. It's mostly instinct and reflex, you know?"

She did know. For all her time running flight simulations, when Rey actually got in the cockpit of a ship, she didn't think about how to fly so much as feel it. Which made her wonder.

As they stepped into the hold, Rey discovered that Poe or Chewie had devised a rather ingenious solution to the porg infestation. The space above and behind the dejarik table's curved booth had been converted into a sort of open cage, with the bottom half screened off with wire mesh and the top open. All of the porglings had been placed inside and were unable to fly out. The parent porgs could come and go as they liked, but as there were dishes of food and water inside as well, it didn't look like they had much motivation to leave.

"So where did you stash it?" Poe asked when he reached the center of the main hold.

"Here," Rey went to the relief pilot bunk and opened a compartment beneath it. She removed a few tools and a thermal blanket, revealing a row of old, cracked book spines.

Poe started to make a joke about her poor choice of hidey hole when he was interrupted by what sounded like a loud bark. The sound was so strangled that it took her a split second to recognize it as a single loan word in Shyriiwook:  _Ben._

Rey turned to find Chewbacca standing in the passageway to the cockpit. Ben stood at the other end of the main hold and had not turned to face his father's friend. The tension in the air was palpable - even the porgs had gone silent.

Chewie roared something that roughly translated to  _father-killer_  but which, considering the reverence of family in Wookiee culture, was far more insulting than the words would have been in Basic. He glanced towards his bowcaster where it hung on the bulkhead, but Rey stood up before he could reach for it.

"I wouldn't do that," she cautioned in a calm voice. That got his attention, but she could still feel the grief and anger clouding Chewbacca's judgment. "The last time you shot him he kept hitting the wound just to prove how scary he was."

Ben let out an exasperated sigh and turned around very, very slowly. "It's a technique to tap into the Dark Side," he grumbled, annoyed. "The pain makes the connection stronger."

"Well from Finn and my perspective, you just looked bantha-poodoo crazy," she remarked.

He shrugged. "The intimidation factor is a bonus."

The atmosphere seemed to calm a few notches, not enough to be comfortable, but she was reasonably sure Chewie wouldn't try to dismember the Supreme Leader here and now. Instead, he unleashed a torrent of grumbles and chuffs on her, demanding to know why this was the escort she chose and why she didn't see fit to inform them.

"I appointed myself her escort," Ben answered for her, "and security protocol is to keep the whereabouts of the Supreme Leader unknown for sorties."  
Chewie gave him the side-eye and whined that now he sounded like his mother.   
"In other words," Poe cut in, "you needed to make sure we didn't whisk her away whether she liked it or not." He gave Chewie a significant look that hinted this had been a topic of some discussion between them.  
"The thought had occurred," Ben said darkly and looked to Rey.  
Rey sighed. She knew her friends' hearts were in the right place. "Any chance you'd be okay with both of us getting whisked away? We could start over."  
He actually considered it for a moment. Poe's eyebrows flew upward, and Chewie let out a chuff of disbelief.  
The corner of Ben's mouth turned up and he made a helpless gesture. "And leave the First Order to General Hugs? I think I'll pass."   
There was a moment of disbelieving silence, and then Poe let out an incredulous "Ha!" He shook his head and rubbed his neck, staring down at the paneling. "Let me get you a bin for those, Rey."  
"Thank you," Rey said.  
A bin was brought, and Chewie came over to help her carefully transfer the books to it when a sound from the cockpit called Poe away. Rey hefted the box - it was more awkward than heavy, especially with her long trailing sleeves - but Ben wordlessly took it from her. He turned and headed for the shuttle.  
"I'm just going to say goodbye to Poe," she told him awkwardly.  
He nodded and said nothing.  
Rey followed Chewie to the cockpit and was unsurprised to find a familiar orange-and-white droid securely nestled in a new docking port. "Hi BB-8," she said cautiously.  
The droid tootled happily up at her.  
"I've put some work into his loyalty subroutines," Poe said from the pilot's seat. "Basically I taught him to nice to people even if he doesn't trust them. At least until they've demonstrated they are an actual threat."  
"That's... an efficient solution," Rey agreed. "Listen, I'm sorry I didn't say who was coming with me. He's a little..."  
"Domineering?" Poe suggested.  
Chewie put in his suggestion: controlling.  
"More like overprotective," Rey argued. "His heart's in the right place, he just doesn't trust that I can take care of myself. Not unlike two other pilots I know," she said pointedly.  
Poe and Chewie exchanged a guilty glance.   
Behind her, she could sense Ben as he reluctantly approached the cockpit. He came to stand just beside her, not touching but close enough to clearly communicate that he was allowed in her personal space. She glanced back, half-tempted to give him a piece of her mind, but when she saw his face the weight of his emotions struck her through the Force.  
He was staring at Poe sitting in the pilot's seat. If looks could kill Poe would be vaporized. Ben was consumed with a sickening mix of jealousy, guilt, grief, and anger. Suddenly an image came to her: Ben sitting in the seat beside Chewie, laughing and joking. And just as suddenly it made perfect sense why he hated Poe so much.  
If Ben had been born without the use of the Force - or less of it, Rey was quickly forming suspicions based on the pilot's comment about flying by instinct - then he could have lived Poe's life. A hotshot pilot, a high ranking commander in his mother's hand-picked military, flying his father's famous ship. Respected, admired, loved. Poe vividly represented the life that Ben felt he should have had.  
Before she could think of something to say to comfort him, he looked away from Poe and met her gaze. "Time to go," he said quietly.  
She nodded. "Thank you both," Rey told them, and they nodded solemnly. Turning to leave, she hesitated when Ben stayed rooted to the spot.  
She could see him swallow as he glanced around the cockpit one last time. "Take care of this piece of junk," he said to no one in particular.  
"That an order?" Poe raised an eyebrow.  
The corner of Ben's mouth twitched. "From the Supreme Leader himself," he said drolly.  
Chewie chuffed something about getting too big for one's britches.  
"I mean..." Poe rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'll do it, but not because you told me to."  
Ben nodded. "Good enough." Turning with a swirl of his cape, he stomped back down the corridor and towards the shuttle.  
Rey gave a quick wave and followed after, shutting the airlock after her once she'd disembarked. Ben was already in the pilot seat, bringing the shuttle out of standby and preparing for the return jaunt.  
The two ships separated, and as the Falcon's hyperdrive began to power up, one last message came over the comms.  
"Have fun ruling the Galaxy, you two!"   
And then the ship lengthened and disappeared into the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was extremely difficult to write. It was very hard to make it believable without someone ending up dead. I hesitated to use humor to diffuse the situation because I didn't want to seem like I wasn't taking it seriously. I also didn't want to cop out and have them ship the books or have someone else deliver them because I felt like this was a really important character interaction. So I spent a lot of time studying Poe and I realized he's not just a joker, he specifically uses humor as armor, when he's scared or nervous.   
> And while Kylo Ren hasn't shown a lot of evidence of a sense of humor (save the cut "this conversation was getting boring anyway" callback from TFA) I can't imagine Ben growing up with "joke about things so it seems like I don't care" Han Solo and "name calling raised to an art form" Leia and not pick up a little bit.  
> Anyway, hope the end result is acceptable. Things are still going rough for me, I've had some complications with my surgery and I've had to quit my job. Nobody seems to be interested in me starting a Patreon so I guess I'll have to figure something else out. To be perfectly honest some days the comments I get on this story are about all that keeps me going. You guys make such a huge difference in my life, and really make me feel like it's worth it.


	19. Study

As soon as they got back to their quarters, Rey got right to work. "Can I use your desk?" she asked. "It's bigger, that way I can compare texts."

"Of course," Ben motioned for the stormtrooper who had been assigned to carry the bin to set it on the huge slice of ebonwood, and then dismissed him.

Rey started unpacking the books, and DD-6 came from her room to hover nearby. "Can I assist you, Mistress?" she asked.

"Absolutely." Opening the first book carefully, she turned to the first page. "Can you scan these into a searchable format? I'd like to manipulate them as little as possible, they look fragile."

"Certainly," DD replied. She extended Rey's datapad to her and then moved to hover just over her shoulder. A stream of blue light came from an emitter near her base and scanned slowly over the page, A little chime sounded as it was completed. "Next page, please," DD said.

Rey turned the page very carefully, holding the book open for DD to scan.

After watching them for a moment, Ben laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to go train for a bit," he told her.

"Okay, thanks," Rey said, already engrossed in the readout on her datapad.

* * *

When he returned a few hours later, she felt no closer to her goal. In fact, she felt even farther from it. All of the books were in languages that Rey didn't understand. Thus far DD-6 had been able to translate three of them with reasonable confidence in the accuracy of her translation. But the fourth book was proving completely inscrutable.

"I'm sorry Mistress, there doesn't seem to be any internal consistency. I can't detect enough of a pattern in the alphabet to decode it, much less begin to translate," DD lamented.

"What seems to be the trouble?" 

Rey looked up to see Ben approaching. He was dressed in training gear - a tank top and high-waisted pants - and had a towel around his neck. It looked like he had really pushed himself, he was slightly out of breath and a fine sheen of sweat covered his muscles. She fought the urge to lick her lips.

"Didi is having trouble translating this book," Rey said. "I wonder if it's in code?" She put her elbows on the desk and rested her forehead against her palms, staring down at the mysterious text.

Coming to stand next to them, Ben looked down at the black-bound book. "Ah, the Rammahgon. You're not entirely wrong about code. The problem is it's written in Higerna, which has a pictographic writing system. Each symbol is a little picture, see?" he pointed to one of some kind of insect and another of a bird.

"But there seems to be no consistency as to which pictographs are used," DD-6 said, her usually even voice sounding a bit exasperated. "There are over 200 different pictographs used in the first section alone."

"Each picture represents an item, and the first syllable of the word for that item is the sound it's meant to make. But there's no set picture for each syllable, so the choice of items conveys tone. If you want to talk about something nice, you use pictures of pleasant things. If you want to be nasty, you go for something obscene." Ben sounded as if he were in his element. Rey wondered if he had a scholarly side he'd been hiding from her.

"But that would mean you would need to be fluent in speaking the language in order to read it," DD-6 said, sounding defeated.

"Correct. So in a way, it is a code. The Higerni were a very secretive people. The bad news is, they all died out about a thousand years ago, at the end of the last Sith wars," he said cheerfully.

"Why are you so happy about that?" Rey looked up, feeling a little hopeless.

"Because the good news is I speak Higerna," he said, and moved to sit opposite them at the ebonwood desk. "One of my droid tutors knew it, and several million other languages. He taught it to me, and I was working on a translation of the Rammahgon when... when I was studying under Skywalker." His face clouded over as he opened a slender drawer in the desk and pulled out several objects. She didn't recognize the first two, a thin cylinder about fifteen centimeters long with a tuft of fur at one end, and a squat polyhedron filled with black liquid. But the third was clearly a piece of the same kind of pressed vegetable pulp the inside of the books were made of. Paper.

Reaching across the table, Ben pulled the Rammahgon towards him and glanced at the first few lines while he opened up the polyhedral container. Dipping the furry end of the thin cylinder in the fluid, he then began to drag it across the paper in bold, confident strokes. When he was done, he turned the paper so that Rey could see it. The fluid was still wet and shiny on the paper in places, but she could see it drying in others.

"In... ages past," she read out loud, "the holy... Jedi... waged war against... the evil... Sith. That's amazing Ben! I've never seen someone do that!"

"It's called calligraphy," he said absently. "Rey... are you... is my handwriting difficult to read?"

Despite his hesitation, Rey knew what he was really asking. "No. I'm not very good at reading aurebesh. Didn't have much practice at it back on Jakku. It's actually a lot easier for me to code a message in one of the droid languages than in basic. But I saved up some rations to buy lessons from a pilot once, so I can manage. That's why I wanted Didi to scan the books. She'll be able to search them much faster than me."

Ben frowned. "You could have asked me to help," he said.

"I... I thought you would be too busy. Being Supreme Leader and all." Honestly, she hadn't even considered that he would be interested.

Ben set down the writing implement very deliberately and then looked her square in the eyes, his face set firmly in a determined expression. "Rey. I will never,  _ever_  be too busy for you. Especially for something as important to you as this."

An image drifted into Rey's mind - a memory of Ben's from when he was very small. Being tucked into bed by a nanny droid,  _again_ , because his mother had a Senate dinner and his father was away on a mission. As he started to cry the nanny tried to soothe him by reminding him how very important his parents' work was. But all he heard was that it was more important than  _him_.

Tears ran in hot tracks down her face, and she backed away from the desk, covering her face with her hands to protect the books. She couldn't help it, couldn't stop them from flowing, couldn't prevent the hitch in her breath. As lonely as she had been as a child, his situation seemed somehow worse. To know your parents were able to be with you and just  _chose_  not to be... to have their love and then be denied it for the sake of convenience.... Some part of her knew she was being unfair to Han and Leia, but the memory had been so vivid, as well as the emotions that went with it.

Ben stood, his chair pushed back roughly, and nearly vaulted over the desk he came around it so quickly. "Rey, what's wrong? Rey? I'm sorry," he knelt down next to her chair, and she threw her arms around his neck and started sobbing into his shoulder.

Ben froze for a moment, then slowly slid his arms around her. At first, he held her carefully, as though she might break. When she slipped off her chair to get closer to him, he pulled her in so tightly that for a moment she couldn't breathe.

"I'm sorry," she choked out. "I'm just so used to doing things on my own."

"It's okay, I understand." When her shoulders stopped shaking, he pulled back and carefully wiped the tears from her cheeks with the calloused pads of his thumbs. "It's been a very long cycle, you should probably get some sleep."

Rey nodded, today had felt like it lasted years.

Sitting back on his heels, Ben stood up and lifted her into his arms in one move. She was so impressed with the maneuver that a watery giggle escaped her.

"Didi, come help your mistress get ready for bed," Ben called, and made for Rey's room. The droid made an affirmative chirp and followed after.

"The texts..." Rey protested weakly.

"I'll take care of it," Ben said. "I'll help Didi scan the rest and tomorrow we can start looking through them for a test." He carried her to her bed and sat her down on the edge of it.

DD-6 drifted into the dressing room, and quickly returned with a nightgown. Rey was relieved to see it was nothing fancy, just a knee-length camisole of very soft, stretchy fabric in off-white. "I'll fetch you something to clean your face with," the droid suggested, and laid the nightgown on the bed before moving off to the 'fresher.

Ben helped Rey pull her dress off, and while his touch wasn't exactly impersonal, neither did it demand anything. His hand would linger on the curve of her hip or the plane of her shoulder just a moment longer than necessary, for no other reason than because he enjoyed touching her. He handed her the nightgown and she shimmied into it, and by that time DD-6 had returned with a warm, damp cloth for her to wash her face with.

To her surprise, Ben took it from her and began to wash her tear-streaked face with gentle, careful strokes. Something stirred within her, some long distant memory. Surely someone had once cared for her like this?  _How odd_ , she thought,  _it's like we've become each other's parents. A whole family wrapped up into one person_. Then she laughed at how silly that sounded.

"What?" Ben asked, pausing.

Rey shook her head. "Just tired." She took the washcloth from him and quickly cleaned her hands and feet. It would be a shame to get such a nice, clean bed even a little bit dirty. She stood up and pulled back the blankets, struggling to find where they ended and the sheets began. At last she slipped inside, immediately feeling engulfed by the softness of it.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"It's very... soft," she said, a yawn interrupting her.

"You can adjust it here," he showed her a small console on the bedside table. "You can make it warmer or cooler, too."

Rey didn't know how to respond. It was one more piece of opulence that he seemed to take for granted. So she just nodded.

"Good night, Rey." Ben leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, and then softly on the lips. "I'll see you in the morning."

She frowned. "Aren't you coming to bed?"

He stood up, looking away, and she remembered belatedly his enormous bed in his own room. "It's best if we don't sleep in the same place," he said darkly. She could sense that this was a decision he had made to keep her safe, but surely they were safe here, in the heart of the Supremacy?

But she was too tired to argue with him. They could argue about it tomorrow. "Okay," she said around another yawn.

He nodded and waved a hand to lower the lights. Didi glowed softly as she followed him out of the room, and then it was dark.

* * *

Some hours later, Rey woke up drenched in sweat. The damn bed was too hot. To hot, to soft, too hard. She never thought she'd be picky about where she slept, but with a myriad of choices she struggled to find one she liked. Making the bed firm meant it was flat and didn't contour to her the way the sand had. Making it soft made her feel unsupported. Making it as warm as her home on Jakku didn't change the chill of the room's air, so she had to stay under the sheets, leading to her current predicament.

She flung off the tangled sheets and got out of bed. The marble floor was cold, but it was refreshing. She padded her way into the 'fresher, the lights coming up very slowly to help her adjust. She found a soft cloth and held it directly beneath the tap in the sink, letting just a little cool water out to dampen it. She swiped it over her face and neck, relishing the feel of it. She probably could have taken a long 'fresher, but this was enough.

Staring at her reflection in the long mirror, she decided to be honest with herself. The bed wasn't the problem. She'd slept alone for every night she could remember, but now that Ben was just one room away, it wasn't enough. Fine. She'd sneak into his bed, and see if he argued about it then. She doubted it; if he tried to put up a fuss she'd find a way to shut him up.

She left the 'fresher by the other door and made her way to Ben's room, pushing aside the curtains. The lights were low, but the ambient starlight from the windows was enough for her to make her way to the side of the enormous bed.

Only to discover it was empty.

Not only was it empty, it was made, and looked like it hadn't been disturbed at all. Rey frowned. Maybe it wasn't as late as she thought, and he'd been called away for a meeting before he turned in? She decided to find DD-6 and see if the droid knew the Supreme Leader's whereabouts. Passing back through the curtains, she saw that the sacred Jedi texts had been neatly stacked in short piles, the Rammahgon off to one side. It looked like Ben had finished scanning the rest from DD-6 but she was nowhere to be found. Scanning the room, she looked for a flash of white in all the blackness.

She found one, but it wasn't the Droid. She drifted closer, and saw that it was a face. Ben's face. He was lying on one of the two leather couches, his arms pulled in tightly against his chest, fast asleep. He didn't look like he was sleeping well, either, a crease between his brows tugging at the scar she had given him.

Her first instinct was to wake him, to help him to his bed the way he had done for her. But when she reached out a hand, something held her back. Maybe it was best not to disturb him. He had at least managed to fall asleep, so he was doing better than she.

With a sigh, she returned to her room and pulled the top blanket from her bed. It was thick and fluffy, light but practically a mattress on its own. She dragged this back into the main room, and then across the way to the training room. The floor in here had a little give to it. It wasn't sand, but it was close enough. She laid out the blanket, folding it over once, rolled the top of it into a firmer rest for her head than the pillows, and laid down.

Almost instantly, she was asleep once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The inspiration for this chapter came directly from [megilins](https://megilins.tumblr.com/) over on tumblr (sorry if you have a AO3 name and I don't know it dear!). She posted a really cute idea about Ben and Rey working on studying the Sacred Jedi Texts together and I just knew I had to incorporate it! Originally I had planned for Rey to do it with DD-6 only, which was part of the reason for creating Didi's character.
> 
> Things are slowly getting better for me. I still don't have a job but after a bad scare this week my surgery complications seem to have resolved for the time being. Still can't drive but I can at least get out of the house a bit as long as I take it easy! All of your lovely comments and encouragement have been immensely helpful in keeping my spirits up while I was on bed rest this week.


	20. Sparring

When Rey woke again, she had no way of telling what time it was. The lights were still off in the training room, but outside the windows, the swirling maelstrom of hyperspace gave more than enough light to wake her. Strange that she hadn't felt the initial jolt. In the  _Falcon_ , it had felt like her stomach had been left behind for a moment. She wondered if the size of the _Supremacy_ somehow affected that. Even now it didn't feel much different than when they were at rest, but then they were probably a long way away from the engines.

She stood and rolled up the blanket so she wouldn't have to drag it again. Wandering out of the training room, she immediately saw that the couch where Ben had been laying was empty.

"Trouble sleeping?" he asked from behind her.

She turned to see him sitting at the ebonwood desk, calligraphy tools in hand. The Rammahgon was open in front of him, and he had another book that he was writing in. She wondered where he'd found it, or if he'd somehow had it made.

"I couldn't get the bed to feel right," she admitted. "And I'm having difficulty telling time."

He set the writing tool down and frowned. "It's currently several hours into the alpha shift, so the planetside equivalent would be mid-morning. It will take some time to get used to the lack of natural lighting. Didi-six," he said to the little droid, which was currently sitting on the desk and had the blinking smile-line that meant she was processing.

The bar paused in lighting up. "Yes, Supreme Leader?"

"Program the lighting in your Mistress's room to rise slowly a few hours before the beginning of alpha shift, to simulate sunrise," he ordered.

DD-6 made an affirmative chirp.

"Can I change the temperature of the room as well?" Rey asked.

He nodded. "Although we probably can't make it as hot as Jakku," he warned.

"It gets a lot cooler at night, which is really the only time I'd want it like that," she half-laughed.

"What do you want the bed to feel like? Maybe I can help you with the settings," he offered.

"Like... like sand?" she felt a little silly. "Firm, but you can wiggle so it takes the shape of your body. When I set the bed to firm it just felt flat."

He considered that. "I'm not sure if the model that was installed can manage that, but if not I can see about getting a different one."

Rey balked. "I don't need--"

He held up a hand to interrupt her. "I don't want to hear it. If you think you can manage to dress yourself, Didi-six is almost done analyzing the texts."

Bristling at the implication that she  _required_ help to dress, she stormed off to her dressing room. She rifled through the drawers and cabinets until she located a simple black training outfit: tight stretchy pants that went just past her knees and a tightly fitted tank top. Over this, she threw on an exquisitely soft gray wrap that was probably made of some priceless fabric and meant to go with one of the dresses. She didn't much care.

When she returned to the main room, she discovered a few dishes had been set at the place opposite Ben, who had gone back to writing. A mug of caf was the only familiar sight, accompanied by a glass of pale liquid and a bowl of lumpy tan dotted with dark red.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Food," he answered banally. "Don't worry, I learned my lesson last time, it's not heavy or too sweet. The juice is from the fruit of the kelbaya tree. Very light, with a delicate flavor. And that's chekkameal with dried ilya berries. All of it healthy and simple."

Sitting down, Rey decided to try the juice first. If she didn't like it, she could always overpower it with the bitterness of caf. She was pleasantly surprised; the kelbaya juice was a little thicker than water, ever so slightly sweet, and had a light nutty flavor she quite liked. Encouraged, she dug into the chekkameal, discovering it was a ground grain that had been soaked in water and warmed through. The flavor was very plain, almost like the instant loaves she'd eaten for so many years. But the ilya berries added just a touch of tart sweetness, and there was a bit of unfamiliar spice mixed in that gave it a little complexity.

"It's really good," she said through a mouthful of food. She took another big swig of the kelbaya juice and grinned.

Ben suppressed a smile. "Didi-six, when you're done please schedule some time to teach your Mistress the intricacies of table manners," he said without a hint of condescension.

Rey blushed all the same and poked at her chekkameal. "So what kept you up last night?"

Ben had returned to copying the Rammahgon. "Hm?" he asked absently.

"I saw you on the couch when I moved to the training room," she explained. She thought it best not to tell him why she had actually left her room. In the light of day, her plan seemed brazen, stupid, and selfish.

"Oh, I meant to just rest my eyes for a bit. I guess I was more tired than I realized," he said, not looking up from his work.

Rey paused, the mug of caf less than a centimeter from her lips. Even without the Force, the lie would have been obvious. She'd seen his desk - he'd stowed everything away for the night. But she also sensed that whatever the truth was, it made him deeply uncomfortable and he didn't want to talk about it.

Before she could think how to respond, DD-6 lit up with a little triumphant chime. "Analysis complete. There are 634 references to tests, examinations, and trials in the texts, excluding the Rammahgon."

Rey took a deep breath and held out her hand to DD-6 for her datapad. "Looks like I've got my work cut out for me." Scrolling to the first one, she began to read.

* * *

To her mild embarrassment, Ben eventually put off his translation of the Rammahgon to help Rey scan through the results. He had the decided advantage that he could just skim through the text without having to read each word carefully. He downloaded the information to a second datapad and began to go through the list, marking the results that obviously weren't anything to do with testing for the potential to use the Force. This narrowed it down to twenty-seven passages, and she'd gotten through about twelve by the time he was done skimming.

In the end, most of the older texts referred to what Ben had said Luke used as criteria to join his temple: demonstrations of ability that occurred in the course of a young person's life, usually in response to a crisis. The newer books, however, contained several cryptic references to a potential Jedi having the right "blood." It was a little unclear exactly what this meant, as some sources seemed to suggest it was an inherent quality of the blood itself, and others hinted that it was something within the blood. None of them specified exactly what they were talking about. It seemed very intentionally mysterious - the Jedi had not wanted this information to get into the wrong hands.

Rey worried distantly if maybe they were right to have hidden this information. If maybe she, and the First Order, _were_ the wrong hands.

Setting down her datapad, she sighed heavily. "What about the Rammahgon?" she asked. "Any chance it has something to say on the subject?"

Ben grimaced. "No. It's mostly a second-hand account of the ways of the Sith," he explained. "I wasn't really supposed to be translating it, actually. It was one of the books I was forbidden to read, and now I know why. A lot of it is nonsense, actually, conjecture based in fear instead of fact. But I have already translated a passage that concerns the Sith method for ascertaining the fitness of a potential apprentice."

"Oh?" Rey perked up.

Oddly, Ben looked uncomfortable. "They would just... go looking in their minds. If the ability to use the Force was there, lying dormant, they would trigger it somehow, and then induce a state of crisis. They did this by either torturing them or attacking them."

She stared at him, dumbstruck. "Do you think you..."

"I suspect so," he said solemnly. "Did you ever have any indication you were Force-gifted before Starkiller Base?"

Chewing on the end of her thumb, she thought hard. "I was really good at flying and shooting," she reasoned. "And I saved Finn by closing a door at just the right moment."

He considered that. "Heightened reaction time is common in untrained Force users, but it doesn't require much talent."

"I used the mind trick to tell the guard to let me go!" she perked up.

"Yes but that was after I..." Ben swallowed. "After you pushed me out of your mind. How did you know how to do it? Or even guess that you could?"

She sighed. "I saw it, in a memory sort of. The same way I recognized your lightsaber moves once I tried to tap into the Force."

He nodded. "I'd been going easy on you up to that point, and then you caught me by surprise. I'd worn myself out a bit and didn't think you'd pick up on it so quickly."

Frowning, Rey sat up. "Are you... are you suggesting I didn't beat you fair and square?" she said, vaguely offended.

A wry smile crossed his face and he leaned back in his seat. "There's no such thing as a fair fight," he said, looking and sounding very much like his father. "Whoever gets the drop on their opponent first is the winner. You took me by surprise, you won. In another fight, if I was rested, uninjured, and not in an indulgent mood, I doubt it would turn out the same."

Rey's mouth dropped open in an astonished O. "Is that so?" she asked, standing up slowly.

Ben followed her with his eyes, and the air between them charged with tension. He gestured carelessly to the training room. "It's an easy enough theory to prove."

The lightsaber was in her hand before she had even thought about it. "Fine. Then prove it."

Getting up in an unhurried fashion, he nodded to the weapon in her hand. "Would you mind if we used practice blades? I don't intend to lose, but on the off chance I do I shouldn't like another one of these," he gestured to his face.

Rey's rage was doused with guilt. "Of course." She put the lightsaber back on her hip, feeling foolish. That made her a little angry again, as did his casual saunter into the training room. After a moment's hesitation, she followed after him.

He had taken two training swords from the wall of weapons and tossed one to her. She caught it easily and gave a few experimental swings. The balance wasn't anything like a lightsaber, which had no weight beyond the hilt, but seemed to slightly resist passing through the air as if it were something thicker. She shook her head and eyed the wall for something more suitable. She spied what she needed and grinned.

"That's hardly fair," Ben teased her as she traded out the training sword for a long staff.

It was lighter than what she was used to, made of a very hard wood, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. "You said there was no such thing as a fair fight," she replied, twirling it expertly. "You have your advantages, I have mine. This is what I trained with on Jakku. Almost wish there were lightsabers like this," she laughed.

He raised an eyebrow. "There have been." He started circling her, warming up his wrist by swinging his sword in a figure eight pattern.

Rey took a ready stance and followed his progress around the room, facing him but keeping her place. "Why do I suspect I'm not going to like what you say next?"

"Jedi reflexes?" he joked, and then lashed out with an experimental strike. She countered it easily and he stepped back again. "There was an apprentice of Darth Sidious - Emperor Palatine," he explained, "About a decade before Darth Vader. His name was Darth Maul, and he wielded a double-ended lightsaber like a staff."

Rey sighed and changed stances. "Don't like it," she confirmed. "Besides, if the ends are lightsabers, can you do this?" Grabbing one end of the staff, she lunged forward with a jab.

Ben sidestepped it and blocked with his blade, but also let out a laugh. "That's what you were trying to do on Starkiller Base," he said as if she had solved some vexing mystery for him. "I wondered why you threw so much into your thrusts."

"The reach definitely leaves something to be desired," Rey admitted. Then she didn't have breath to spare for comments as he launched a series of brutal attacks, the sound of the training sword hitting the staff resounding through the room in a quick succession of attacks. It was enough that Rey wasn't able to counter them in a fully conscious way, and found her reflexes answering the strikes for her. But it was much simpler with the staff, she didn't have to guess his move and which counter would be best for it. She could simply focus on his blade and the staff naturally moved to deflect it.

After it became clear that speed alone wouldn't overpower her, Ben peeled off and paced a distance away for a moment. Rey took the opportunity to slip out of her wrap and toss it to the floor by the wall. She was warming up fast and it would be a shame to sweat all over it. Ben picked up on the idea and undid his belt and tunic with quick movements, dropping them on the floor and leaving them where they fell.

Rey hid a smile. There was no sand to kick in his face here, but he'd just provided her something else if she should need it. However, he'd provided a distraction as well. She could now see the powerful muscles of his arms flexing as he turned his blade into a back-handed grip, and she almost missed parrying the strike as a result. She heard his throaty chuckle and resolved not to make the mistake again, going on the attack with her best moves.

Before long, a clear problem arose. The staff gave her a better reach than the lightsaber, but he still had an exceptional range with his height and long arms. She wasn't going to be able to knock him off his feet from a distance, either. He was surprisingly nimble, at one point simply leaping over a low swing. It wasn't a move she would have expected from someone of his size.

She was going to have to close in. It was a dangerous move - up close he would be able to use his advantages of weight and height even more. But she was still just a shade faster than him, and that would have to do. When next he raised his hands for a powerful downward strike, she stepped inside his guard and took the hit on the staff between her hands. He followed through on the strike, pressing down with a double-handed grip. She adjusted her stance, but very slowly her arms began to give way until they were nearly face to face, their blades the only thing separating them.

_Well, this feels familiar_ , Rey thought ironically. But she knew this time there would be no rush of inspiration, no whispers of advice from the Force. He'd closed his mind to her, and she was on her own. Taking a gamble, she let go of the staff with one hand, allowing his blade to slide down it. She had hoped he would overbalance with the sudden release of pressure, and she would have time to strike with the hand still holding the weapon.

But Ben didn't overbalance. His blade went down the length of the staff, but when the tip of it slid off the end, he brought it back up behind the staff and pulled upwards. Ducking, he passed under the weapon as it flew upwards and rammed his body right into her. The staff spun out of her hands and she fell backward. She had half a thought to roll over backward and onto her feet, but Ben's training sword was against the point where her neck and shoulder met before she could try it.

She had lost.

She sat there for a moment, struggling to catch her breath, and stared up at him, doing the same. When he smugly raised his eyebrows as if to say "I told you so," she huffed and grabbed the blade, yanking it out of his hand.

"I don't recommend trying that with a lightsaber," he said glibly.

Rey spat a rather rude phrase in huttese and got to her feet, holding out the training sword to him.

"Eager to get knocked on your butt again?" he asked, taking the sword.

"I made a mistake. It won't happen again," she said through clenched teeth.

"That's how every fight ends," Ben said solemnly. "A mistake. It only takes one. And then you're dead."

Rey knew it was true but that didn't mean she liked hearing it. She stomped over to the staff and kicked it up into her hand with one foot. When she turned around he was already advancing on her, his sword a blur of jabs, swings, and feints. If anything, he was hitting even harder this time. He even turned his back to her for a moment. She resisted the urge to swing out for the vulnerability he exposed in the process and was immensely glad she didn't when he came back around with all of the force of the turn in a powerful overhand swing. The impact of it on her staff jolted her hands so hard that it was only long training that kept them closed about the weapon.

It wasn't long before Rey was fully on the defense, barely managing to get her staff up in time to parry or block before another attack was coming her way. She felt an echo of the same desperation of the fight on Starkiller Base, only this time it seemed to be going backward. So was she, losing ground rapidly as he pressed forward again and again. The training room was big, but it wasn't infinite, and she wasn't terribly surprised to suddenly find herself pressed against the wall, her staff at an awkward angle to hold off Ben's latest swing.

"I can do this all day, Rey," he told her.

She growled and shoved him back, but as a result, she wasn't able to block the swing that hit her arm. Worst of all, he had known she couldn't block it. She could tell because he didn't even hit her  _hard_ , just a tap to show he could.

With a frustrated sound that was not quite a sob, she slid down the floor and focused entirely on gasping for breath.

"Don't feel bad," he said with genuine sympathy. "You've been using the Force for what... three weeks now? You haven't yet learned how to really let go to it. You're a good fighter, especially with that staff. Both of these times you've held out longer than your friend did, and he'd had specific training on how to counter lightsaber attacks."

For some reason, the casual mention of how he'd nearly killed Finn made her suddenly furious. Throwing aside the staff, she reached for the other training blade with the Force, pulling it to her hand across the room. With a cry of rage, she propelled herself away from the wall and right at Ben.

"There it is!" he cried triumphantly, meeting her attacks with a rare grin. "There's that beautiful rage!"

Rey knew she was feeding from the Dark Side, even without his comment. She didn't care. She was angry and she wanted to win and it felt entirely too good. Again and again, she lashed out, her practice blade cracking hard against his. He held his own for a moment, but was soon forced to take one step back, and then another.

"Yes," he hissed. "Use that anger," he encouraged her.

His words only made her furious. She knew he thought of her as his apprentice, even though she'd never really agreed to that role. But what choice did she have? It wasn't like Luke was going to train her. The memory of that disappointment fueled her further, In a move she wasn't sure she could duplicate if she tried, she simultaneously disarmed Ben and kicked his weight-bearing foot out from under him, dropping him flat on his back. She followed him down, straddling his chest and pressing her blade to his neck triumphantly.

Ben stared up at her, wide-eyed and elated with surprise. She realized, distantly, that it was probably the happiest she'd ever seen him. Submerged in the Dark as she was, though, that just made her angry at everyone who had given him such a miserable life.

"Very good," he said, carefully lifting the training blade with both hands and moving it above his head. Rey didn't let go of the handle, and this left her propped above him, her breath coming in quick pants as her heart labored to keep pace with her body's demands. "I'm happy to take two out of three," he said.

"Oh, shut up," she complained, and shoved her mouth against his.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terribly sorry for the cliffhanger, but I was 200 words shy of my 4000-word chapter maximum, and I want to give the next scene a little more attention than that ;).
> 
> Things are going okay for me. Still don't have a job, but I'm feeling much better. I plan to hit the job search hard this week.


	21. Indiscretion

Ben hesitated only a moment, and then a low moan escaped his throat. His hands buried themselves in her hair, pulling her closer. Their lips crashed together like the waves on Ach-to, but it wasn't enough. Letting go of the practice blade, Rey shifted a little lower until she could grind her hips against his. He arched his back in response, lifting them both a little off the floor. His hands abandoned her hair to grip her hips, pushing her down harder.

She could sense it wasn't enough for him, either, and wasn't surprised when he moved to turn over and press her into the floor mats. She flung out a hand, stopping him. "No," she said against his lips.

He pulled his head back a little, looking her in the eyes with one raised eyebrow. "No?" It was the first time she had ever denied him anything.

But her blood sang too loudly with the Dark for her to be scared. "I want you like this," she hissed, dragging her nails down his chest, the thin tank doing little to protect him.

He drew a sharp breath in through his teeth and tightened his grip on her hips. "To the victor go the spoils," he murmured in response. More than anything, she could sense his curiosity. This was a side of her he had not seen, and he wanted to know more.

And Force help her, she wanted to know too.

Shifting a little further down, she yanked at the fastenings of his pants, freeing his already swelling erection. She grabbed him greedily, pumping her hand until he was rock hard. Ben threw back his head and groaned, his own hand gripping her wrist and guiding her to a more furious pace.

But before long, she wanted still more. She let go in favor of wiggling out of her pants, cursing how tight they were. Ben slipped his suspenders off his shoulders and shoved his pants down with one rough push, but she straddled him again before he could get any further. Without a moment's hesitation, she took hold of him once more, pressed him against her folds, and seated herself in one smooth push.

Ben's hands curled into fists at his sides, his mouth dropping open in an expression of shock and pleasure. She didn't need any more of an invitation - leaning forward she pressed her mouth against his, her tongue delving in demandingly. Rey rocked her hips against his in an equally demanding rhythm, loving the way her most sensitive spot rubbed against the short, wiry curls at the base of his cock. 

It wasn't long before she felt herself spiraling upwards, and when she would normally try to relish that feeling, the Dark pushed her to chase after it harder. Sitting up, she whipped off her tank top and set to bouncing herself on him, each downward thrust slamming home harder than the last. 

From beneath her, Ben watched her greedily, one forearm braced against the floor so he could meet her thrust for thrust with better leverage. He slid his other hand up her stomach and cradled one breast, pinching her nipple tightly. 

Rey let out a sharp cry and felt herself clench around him. Her head swam with the force of her orgasm, her vision going a bit dark around the edges for a moment. Ben pushed himself up to sitting, and she clutched the bulk of his arms as she rode out the waves of pleasure.

He kissed her neck, slow and thoughtful, his breath even.  _He wasn't even winded_ , she thought peevishly.  _Well, of course not, I've been doing all the work._

When the last echo of her climax had passed, he pulled back and looked into her eyes, seeming to check if she was all right. She nodded to the unspoken question.

"Good," he murmured, glancing down at where their bodies were joined. "Get on your hands and knees then," he told her, and bodily lifted her off of him and set her on her back beside him.

For a moment, Rey balked, watching him pull off his own tank. "What?"

"Hands and knees, girl," he scowled down at her. "You won the last round but I won two before that. And I intend to take my reward, too."

To her surprise, the Dark within Rey swelled and seemed  _pleased_ at being ordered around.  _Yes,_ it whispered,  _he deserves his revenge as well_. Licking her lips, Rey slowly turned over and arranged herself as he had told her to.

Ben took a moment to get his boots and pants the rest of the way off, and then knelt behind her. His knees bracketed hers, and he shifted them a little wider so he could get the right angle. Then, with as little warning as she had given him, he pressed into her in one swift thrust. 

Rey gasped a little and felt her legs begin to shiver. Her body had accepted him easily, but at this angle, he could press much, much deeper. Within the first few thrusts, she closed her eyes and went down on her elbows, trying to accommodate him better. 

He hummed appreciatively, running a hand up her back to grip the base of her neck with one hand. She moaned, feeling completely and deliciously under his control. She fed that feeling to him through their bond and heard his breath draw in when he felt it. He leaned forward, pressing his chest against her back.

"You are mine," he growled into her ear. "You pledged yourself to me." As he spoke he continued to thrust into her with quick, vicious strokes. "Do not forget, little scavenger girl, everything you have comes from me. I could have you walking the halls of the Supremacy in nothing but chains of glittering jewels if I wanted to." 

Her cheeks flushed red at the image he sent her, her body on display for all to see as she trailed demurely after him. Sitting across his lap as he issued edicts. A toy, a bauble, and nothing more. The only thing more humiliating than that fantasy was how damn wet it made her.

"Lucky for you," he panted, "that I am a jealous man, I don't like others enjoying what's mine. And that I find that sharp mind of yours just as attractive as this sweet, lovely body," his hand left her neck to grasp one breast tightly, and then he slid it down between her legs, his fingers circling in counterpoint to his thrusts. It was too much, her legs began to shake and she leaned her forehead against her arms.

"Rey, you feel so good inside," he whispered, suddenly tender. "Come for me again, sweetheart."

The slightest brush of his mind against hers sent her reeling. She cried out, her hands trying to find purchase on the floor mats. Within moments another climax shattered her, and this time her vision was completely obscured by flashes of white light like the swirl of hyperspace rushing by past the windows. 

When Rey came back to herself, Ben had shifted them so she sat in his lap, his legs folded beneath her. Her knees didn't quite reach the floor, and she struggled to move so she could thrust against him once more.

"Shhh," he murmured against her neck. "I'll take care of it." His hands gripped her hips and moved her, sliding her along the length of him.

If the previous position had offered him unlimited access, this one was impossibly, almost uncomfortably tight. A small keening noise escaped her throat, and she reached back for any kind of purchase, one hand finding his neck and the other his hair.

"You can take it," he promised her. He murmured praises against her skin, and she relaxed, finding the right way to tilt her hips and take him. His words trailed off in favor of labored breathing, and Rey realized suddenly he was holding back, delaying his own end. 

Well, she wasn't having any of that. "Please..." she begged. "Please Kylo."

His fingers twitched against her hips, digging in deeper. "What?" he gasped.

Turning her head so the corner of her lips brushed against his, she whispered, "Please come inside of me... Master"

He stilled, for the barest fraction of a second, and Rey felt as if the floor had dropped out beneath them. And then the bond between them flared, soaring higher and darker than it ever had before. 

"Yes!" one of them shouted - she truly wasn't sure which, and he pulled her tight against him, spilling up into her with such force that she could feel the heat of it inside her. Her body drank it in eagerly, trembling in a third, desperate climax. He pumped into her a few more times, letting go of her hips to claim her with greedy, bruising hands. She let her head fall back against his shoulder and rode it out, losing herself in his pleasure and her own.

Ben collapsed to one side, taking her with him. They stayed like that, still joined, and struggled to catch their breath. Rey felt the last of the darkness ebbing away from her, leaving her feeling empty and alone as it always did.

She shuddered. "That was... wrong," she whispered.

He trailed a hand along her arm. "Did you not enjoy it?" he asked her, already knowing the answer.

"Yes," she agreed. "But..."

"Then who is there to tell us it was wrong? Hm?" he pointed out.

Rey considered it seriously. She'd never given herself that freely to the dark, let it dictate her actions and her words like that. Not even in the cave on Ach-to. What she had done to frighten Luke was only the smallest fraction of this. And it was... incredibly intoxicating. She thought she saw, now, what was so dangerously seductive about the Dark Side.

"Have you ever done something like that before?" she asked quietly.

He let out a breath that was not quite a laugh. "Not like that." He kissed her shoulder. "I've given into it before but not... not for pleasure."

Well, that made her feel a little better. At least they were both in untested waters, to some extent. She snuggled back harder against Ben's reassuring rock-like presence and sighed.

"Is something else bothering you?" he asked, reaching forward to brush some of her hair out of her face.

She thought about it a moment, trying to put her finger on the problem. "What am I thinking, starting a school for Force-users?" she asked with sudden despair. "I barely even know what I'm doing."

There was a long moment as Ben considered his words. "I had wondered about that. I'm happy to spend as much time training you as you'd like, but I'm not teaching the ways of the Dark Side to a bunch of sniveling toddlers."

That made her laugh a little, helplessly. "Good point," she agreed with a sigh. "I guess I'll just have to learn fast."

"You are a very quick study," he said encouragingly and kissed her shoulder. "Maybe you should put off starting the school until you feel more ready."

"Maybe," she agreed. But somehow that didn't feel like the right solution. 

With a deep sigh, Ben pulled away from her and sat up. She turned onto her back, head still reeling a little. 

He looked down at her. "I've made a mess of you," he teased, and then picked her up off the floor.

"I can walk," she protested. 

"You sure about that?" he asked, setting her on her feet.

Rey's knees felt like they were made out of water and shook when she tried to take a step. But she could, in fact, walk, and she looked up to him defiantly.

He gripped her chin lightly, the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. "So stubborn. So strong."

She glanced away, unsure what to say. "I think I will take a 'fresher," she said. "Care to join me?"

Now he did smile. "Of course."

Ben was happy to show her all of the controls for the 'fresher, and help her set it exactly to her comfort. Then he simply held her, letting her lean against him as the water poured over them both. 

Rey closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest. Here, in the protection of his arms, she had finally found the belonging she had searched for. Even as they hurtled through hyperspace into an uncertain future, that only made her hold on to him tighter. They would figure it out. Somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I hope I made up for making you wait! I've been looking forward to delving a little more into the darker side of their connection for a while now.
> 
> Things are looking up for me. I've got a job with a new company some former coworkers of mine are starting (we all got fed up with the old company and decided to do it ourselves). The doctor says I'm healing nicely and cleared me for all activities except for one (which made writing this a little frustrating lol). I've started writing a new original YA novel inspired by the idea of "what if we skipped two generations of Skywalker nonsense and Rey was Shmi's daughter" that is going really well. I'm probably going to republish my book Vampire, Hunter with the new publishing company (which has WAY better print pricing so I'll be able to make it actually affordable). After that, I think I'll be starting a Patreon. I'll keep you guys posted!


	22. Inspection

"You want to start a what?" Hux asked incredulously.

"A school. For Force-users," Rey repeated patiently. She folded her hands carefully on the surface of the conference table they sat at, which was in a much more intimate space than the last meeting. This room in the commons held only enough space for the three of them, the table between them a rounded triangle with its longest side separating her from Hux.

The Left Hand eyed Ben warily and tugged at the sleeves of his new uniform. It featured gold epaulets and dark red stripes on the sleeves. On anyone else, it probably would have looked ridiculous, but Hux managed to make it look only natural. "A new Jedi order?"

"No," Ben said patiently. "Not a temple, a school. No dogma or doctrine, and participation is voluntary." He turned to Rey and gestured for her to go on.

"Exactly. In fact, it's sort of the opposite of a temple. The Jedi hoarded the secrets of the Force for themselves, too afraid that anyone else would use it for the Dark. They assumed the Light was the only correct way to use the Force, and this ended up being their weakness. My goal is to teach people who are Force-sensitive how to use their gift, and then let them decide what path to follow. Eventually, I hope we'll have enough students interested in teaching others that schools will be open on every world."

Hux nodded. "An... admirable undertaking, I suppose," he said. She could tell that the subject made him uncomfortable. Hux didn't like Force users, didn't trust them, because he didn't trust what he couldn't experience for himself. "What are your criteria for entrance?"

"To start with, having demonstrated some control of the Force in times of crisis will do, but we're actively researching whatever methods the Jedi used to select newborns," Ben supplied.

"Oh, that," Hux said plainly. "Trying to solve the midi-chlorian mystery?"

Rey and Ben stared at him. "Midi...chlorian?" Rey repeated.

Hux's eyes lit up. "You hadn't even gotten that far? Hm. Well, I do suppose I have an unfair advantage. I possess a transcription of a Jedi holocron which describes the procedures and techniques the Jedi used to process their initiates."

Ben frowned. "How did you come to be in possession of a holocron?" he asked suspiciously.

"Not the holocron itself," the Left Hand reassured him. "But a transcription of one. It was given to my father by the High Inquisitor, and he used it extensively to develop the stormtrooper training program."

Ben and Rey looked at each other. Here the answer to their question had been under their noses all along. 

"I'd be happy to get you a copy," Hux suggested, obviously reveling in his superior position.

"That would be very helpful," Rey said blandly. "I have yet to inspect the training facilities, so perhaps we could discuss it then?" she suggested.

"Of course," Hux answered quickly. "Have you had a chance to review the suggestions of Professor Zenuba?"

He was changing the subject, but it was, in fact, a related question. Professor Zenuba was the neutral academic that Hux had suggested to work out the economic issues of the Right of Provenance. The head of the economics department at the University of Naboo, the man had no political ties and seemed more interested in the theoretical nature of economics than it's applications.

Rey and Ben had gone over the report together - much of it had been beyond Rey's grasp, and even Ben's to a certain extent. But the solution Professor Zenuba had provided was ingenious. He suggested that the Right of Provenance be intrinsically linked with the Right of Autonomy. In order to be truly free, he argued, a citizen's pay would be enough to afford such necessities as Rey had listed - shelter, food, medical care, and education - with an appreciable percentage of their income left over. If a world government didn't want to require businesses to pay their workers that much, then they needed to provide the services for free. If they lacked the resources to do either, they could appeal to the Federation for aid.

"I have, and I must admit I like it," Rey said cheerfully. She wouldn't be dragged into an argument. "I think I would like to add in something to protect those who are unable to work, but for the most part, it is a very tidy solution. I've already sent a message to Professor Zenuba asking for his recommendations on the addition."

Hux tapped his gloved hand against the table's surface. Her capitulation was an empty victory for him, as it necessitated that he reciprocate. "Excellent," he murmured.

Rey sensed that if she pushed further on the inspection now, he would turn defensive. So she returned to the original subject. "One of the purposes of the school for Force-users would be to train Emissaries," she explained.

The three of them had already determined that each world would have two First Order Representatives assigned to it, a Viceroy and an Emissary. The Viceroy would report to Hux, and coordinate tactical logistics with the local governments as well as assess the world's economy in comparison to the global average to determine appropriate taxation. The Emissary would be there to ensure the rights of the people were not being violated and that the Federation's laws were being upheld. It was agreed that these two positions should not be filled by natives of that world, and that if possible they should not be close friends and some degree of rivalry would be encouraged between the positions. This would ensure that if one was bribed or corrupted by the local government, then the other would still provide accurate reports. Any major discrepancy between the two should be cause for concern.

"A Force-user? In a government position?" Hux seemed deeply suspicious.

Rey shrugged. "It worked well for Senator Organa," she pointed out. 

He scowled deeper. Leia, she knew, had been the most outspoken opponent of the First Order in the New Republic Senate. Her ability to sway the hearts of the ruling body was not to be underestimated.

"Think of it like this," Rey suggested. "Your viceroys will be pulled from the stormtrooper program, in order to ensure their absolute loyalty, correct?" 

He nodded.

"Well, this way my Emissaries will be able to tell when someone is lying to them, and be able to smooth tempers when the Federation's edicts are costly. We both have a unique advantage that way."

Hux considered it carefully. "I suppose that's true," he conceded. "Have you finalized the verbiage for the Right of Autonomy to exclude droids?" 

Rey sighed. He was changing the subject again, but this time she decided to let it go. They could talk more when she performed her inspection. For now, there were many other things they needed to discuss.

* * *

Several cycles later, Rey had yet to see the stormtrooper program. The  _Supremacy_  had arrived at its new destination, a beautiful nebula not far from two popular hyperspace routes. The accessibility of the location was intentional - a date some three weeks out had been set for the official start of the First Order Federation, complete with speeches, edicts, and a grand gala. Dignitaries from many worlds were expected to attend, and the first - eager to suck up to the new Supreme Leader - had already begun to arrive.

The  _Supremacy_  was a very large place, and Hux knew it better than possibly anyone else. He had become very adept at avoiding Rey and her communications. She left him messages, but they were always responded to at the end of his waking shift, with the promise that he would "find time" to "coordinate with her" the next cycle.

Exasperated, Rey decided to take matters into her own hands. A quick inquiry with DD-6 revealed that Grand Admiral Armitage Hux, Left Hand of the Supreme Leader, had his schedule locked behind the highest security clearance, level 9. Which meant it could only be accessed by Hux himself, who was level 8, and the Supreme Leader, the only person with level 9 clearance.

Lucky for her, the Supreme Leader really, really liked her.

"Can you schedule a meeting with Hux?" Rey asked as soon as she entered their quarters.

Ben looked up from his datapad. He was seated on one of the couches, a mug of caf in one hand. It was a little late in the cycle for caf, Rey thought, and sensed that he might be planning to pull another all-nighter. "Can't you schedule one yourself?"

"Apparently not," she huffed, sitting on the other couch. "And I don't mean a meeting between him and me, I mean one between you two."

"I don't have time -" Ben started, sounding a little overwhelmed.

She held up a hand. "You don't have to attend, I'll be going in your place. He just has to think it's going to be you and not me."

A slow smile spread across Ben's face. "Very clever, my young apprentice," he teased her.

She rolled her eyes.

Tapping away at his datapad, Ben pulled up Hux's schedule. Rey tried not to be too obvious in trying to glance at it across the room, terribly curious.

"Well, that's interesting," Ben murmured.

"What?" Rey stretched her neck out a centimeter more.

He pointed to an item on the schedule. "Looks like he's already scheduled an inspection, but you're not invited. My guess is, he'll invite you right before in the hopes that you won't be able to drop what you're working on, and by the time you get there it will be half over."

Rey fumed. "Anything open before that?"

Ben nodded. "It's the start of his working shift, but he has two hours of waking time before that. He'll make an exception for the Supreme Leader. Especially if I imply in the invite that the topic to discuss has something to do with his new authority."

Now it was Rey's turn to grin wickedly.  _We make a good team_ , she thought.

* * *

Rey sat as patiently as a sand spider in the darkened room. She wore a dark cloak, and beneath it a pair of sleek black pants and a matching shirt with wide shoulders and a sharply cut V of a neckline. It wouldn't fool Hux for more than a moment, but a moment was all she needed.

The door of the simple conference room slid open, and Hux hurried in. "I hope this won't take long, Supreme Leader, I have an..." he paused, frowning at the shadowy figure.

Pulling back her hood, Rey smiled. "An inspection. Yes, I know." She let that hang for a moment. "Unfortunately the Supreme Leader was called away at the last minute, so he sent me in his stead."

The message was excruciatingly clear: Hux was not the most important thing on Ben's plate, and while he held something of an equal rank to her, he did not have the authority to make decisions in his place as she did.

"I... I see," Hux choked out. 

Rey wished the room had been a little better lit, she could just imagine all the interesting colors Hux was turning. Standing up, she came around the table and gestured towards the door. "Shall we?"

Fuming, Hux stormed out of the room, leaving her to follow.

* * *

The first thing Rey realized that day was that the  _Supremacy_  was much, much larger than she imagined. Hux led her to a turbolift, which took them to a motor pool. From there a stormtrooper drove them in a transport vehicle, through blocks and blocks of crew quarters. It looked like the holos she'd seen of Coruscant, as foreign to her as the green of Takodana. 

Finally, they arrived at their destination - or so she thought. Instead, it turned out to be a station for the port-side high-speed tram line. They boarded the first car, which was lushly appointed for the visiting dignitaries. Rey took a seat near one of the large windows and stared down the tunnel which looked like it went on forever.

The speed of the tram took her breath away, smoothly accelerating until it felt like they were going lightspeed. the exterior partitions of the tunnel flashed by so quickly that soon they were just a blur against the vista of apartments and cafeterias beyond. Then they passed a bulkhead and traveled in darkness for a moment. When the windows lit up again, Rey's mouth fell open. Lifting to her knees on the seat, she plastered her hands against the window. DD-6 made an unhappy chirp that meant she'd made some gaffe, but she didn't care.

"Is that an  _entire Star Destroyer_?" she demanded incredulously.

Hux looked up from the datapad he was reading, stared at her for a moment, flabbergasted, and then glanced out the window. "...yes?" he said cautiously. "That's the  _Silencer_ , it was near the Dreadnought  _Fulminatrix_  when it exploded and took some heavy damage as a result. It's in for repairs."

Rey stared down at the scene before her, trying to comprehend. The  _Silencer_  was completely encased in the most enormous hangar she had ever seen. A second look showed that the floor must open up to space, letting the smaller - smaller, ha! It was incomprehensibly enormous - vessel in from the ventral side. She could see why it was necessary to enclose the ship for repairs, as a great deal of the hull had been pulled off to reveal the structure below. 

"It looks like the reactor lines got fouled," Rey commented. "That must have been one hell of a hazard."

Hux looked at her more thoughtfully. "Yes. We had to order to abandon ship, and have drones retrieve it. Do you know much about Star Destroyers?"

Rey sat down, glancing back at him occasionally but keeping her eyes on the wonder below them for the most part. "You could say so, I spent the better part of a decade disassembling the  _Inflictor._ "

He seemed to consider that for a moment. "Lost at the Battle of Jakku," he murmured. "Of course. Ah," he lit up. "But that was an  _Imperial_ -class. The  _Silence_  is a  _Resurgence_ -class, which is nearly twice as long."

This time, she stopped gawking and looked at him fully, not sure if he was joking But no, this was Hux, and he was as deadly serious as always. 

"Do you think... would it be too disruptive if I scheduled a tour of the facility?" she asked.

He shrugged. "There's another one on the Starboard side being constructed," he told her. "It's mostly droid work, but I'm sure the construction crews would be most gratified to be graced with your presence. It would probably be good for morale." There was something not quite teasing in that, she sensed, but it was also true. 

She nodded and asked DD-6 to coordinate it. Eventually, they passed the hangar and into a droid factory. The time it took them to reach the training facility, even at these speeds, made her brain hurt. They weren't even going half of the way out to the end of the port side. And all of this could hurtle through hyperspace as easily as the  _Millenium Falcon_. As much as she hated Snoke, she had to admit the scope of his vision was truly astounding. To think that she had inherited it, even in part, felt like an incredible weight on her shoulders.

* * *

The inspection took the rest of the alpha shift. Hux showed her everything, the entire "production line" as he called it. "Recruits" were brought in to the Nurturance Center, which focused mainly on assessment and inculcating the extreme loyalty to the First Order demanded of all stormtroopers.

"The ideal age is between 4 and 7," he explained non-nonchalantly as they passed a batch of wide-eyed and miserable children. A few looked as if they had been crying, but they were all well fed and warmly dressed. "Old enough to feed, clothe, and clean themselves, but young enough that they have yet to decide they understand how the galaxy works, even a little." He even showed her their sleeping quarters and the devices which played audio recordings of First Order propaganda as the children slept. 

From there, the children were put through schooling, which focused not only on trooper training but also the basic fundamentals of education. Reading, calculation, and a very revised history were taught alongside vigorous physical training. At this age, most of it actually looked a little fun: obstacle courses and gymnastics were popular. The instructors were emotionally distant and pushed the children to excel, but they doled out praise as often as criticism. Rey couldn't help but feel that as tough as it was, it was a far cry better than her own miserable childhood.

At age 9, the children began drilling in exercises intended to build teamwork skills and identify early leaders in the group. These began to resemble trooper training a lot more, although they weren't quite fighting battles. Combat was taught on a theoretical level - past battles were reviewed and different tactics drilled into even the less promising cadets. She was able to look in on one group that was navigating a simulated jungle, and another that appeared lost in an endless desert. 

The next block of training began at 16. This was when children were deemed old enough to handle combat situations. Captain Phasma was in charge of this phase of the program, and she accompanied them through that portion of the inspection. The simulations at this level did not pull punches. Injuries were common and it wasn't unheard of for a careless cadet to wind up dead.

When Rey seemed shocked, Phasma gave an impatient sigh. "It's not about culling the least valuable assets, although that is an advantage," she said sharply. "It's about teaching the rest the consequences of their actions. There are many worlds in this galaxy where one mistake is all it takes to wind up dead. Can you think of a better way to teach that?"

Rey's spine stiffened. "I came from one of those worlds," she said defensively.

"So I've heard," she shot back. "Jakku?" Her mechanical voice held a hint of contempt. "There are far worse, My Lady. I came from one of those."

She gave the female captain a long look. She was inscrutable in her armor, and Rey wondered - not for the first time - what she looked like beneath all that chrome. A gentle probe in the Force gave her almost as little information, only that this woman was definitely not to be underestimated.

"I see," she answered at last. She had to admit it was difficult to imagine a world more brutal than Jakku, but she had only just begun to understand how little of the galaxy she knew about.

Hux gestured that they should continue, and led her to the staging area. Each sector was about a quarter of the size of the Star Destroyer hanger, and there were 10 in all. A full corps of 36,000 troops could be staged, loaded onto transports, and received here with ease. As they walked the length of just one of the enormous rooms, the Grand Admiral briefly outlined the adult portion of the training, which ran from age 19 to 24. This mainly involved actual military exercises where they were led and supervised by more experienced troopers. Rey found herself tuning out. This part at least seemed rational, training much like any military would give its soldiers. 

"Is something troubling you?" Hux asked peevishly. 

Rey realized she'd failed to answer a question he'd just asked. "Sorry. It's just... To be honest, I expected a lot worse."

"Oh?" Hux stopped walking and turned to face her. 

"A friend of mine, Finn, was a stormtrooper. He had a lot to say about the training program, and none of it good. And he still harbors a lot of hatred for the First Order," she explained.

Hux nodded. "I am familiar with FN-2187's case," he said. "I've studied it extensively because he is the only deserter the program has seen in almost a decade. From what I can tell, he had a difficult time making friends. There is a lot of pressure on teamwork in the program. If he perceived himself as an outsider, then it may have made it very difficult indeed. In all other ways, he was a model cadet - scored high on his tests, did well in simulations, although he was more of a lone actor than a team player. If he'd made it to the end of his training he probably would have been assigned to special ops where he could work on his own. But on his very first active exercise he failed to follow orders, and then shortly thereafter broke out the Resistance pilot Poe Dameron," he gave the name a particularly annoyed sneer, "And went AWOL."

Rey frowned. "He disobeyed orders?"

Hux nodded. "Kylo Ren ordered his battalion to fire on a group of villagers that had been rounded up on Jakku. FN-2187 claimed his blaster had malfunctioned but the weapon was found to be in perfect working order."

She felt sick, but Hux wasn't done.

"And yet, he was more than willing to fire on his fellow stormtroopers - people he had worked and lived with since childhood - while making his escape."

Rey wanted to sit down. Ben - no, Kylo, she had to think of him that way right now - had ordered the deaths of an entire village on Jakku. For what reason? She couldn't think of any that would justify the order. What if she had lived there? What if her family had? And Finn... Finn wouldn't kill them, but then turned right around and killed his own people. For what? Making him feel like he wasn't part of the group?

"Perhaps we should return?" Hux suggested. When she looked up at him, she noticed his expression was not the sadistic glee she expected but rather one of resigned pity. She sensed that he didn't particularly enjoy disillusioning her this way, but found it necessary. If anything, he was irritated that he had to be the one to do it.

"Yes, thank you."

They headed back towards the nearest tram station. "So what is your assessment?" Hux asked. It almost seemed like he was trying to draw her out of her melancholy.

"As I said, it's better than I expected," she admitted. "I'm still not happy about the kidnapping. There are a lot of unwanted children in the galaxy," she mused. "Surely we could set up something to take them in instead."

He raised an eyebrow. "Orphans and rejects?"

She shrugged. "It would certainly cement their loyalty to the First Order, if we took them in when no one else would."

Rubbing his chin, he thought about it. "I worry the numbers wouldn't be enough. Perhaps if we incentivized turning over the children, some of the less... ideal parents would also give them up willingly."

Rey grimaced, fighting back a wave of memory. A shuttle, flying away at top speed as Unkar Plutt held her arm in a vice-like grip and she screamed.  _They sold you for drinking money_. Still, as she had realized earlier, this was a far better life than the one she'd been forced into on Jakku. "That would be acceptable." A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Tell me, Grand Admiral. You see a lot of young people put through crisis situations. Do cadets ever show signs of being Force-users under those stresses?"

Now it was his turn to grimace. "Rarely, but yes. Those cadets would undergo intensive retraining and are vehemently discouraged from doing it again. They may be moved out of the trooper program entirely and to a maintenance crew position instead."

She frowned. "Why?"

Hux made a dismissive gesture with a hand. "Untrained Force-users can be dangerous. It's not unheard of for one to lash out against everyone around them, killing them all, although we haven't experienced that bad of an outburst."

"What if," she said slowly, "when such candidates were identified, they were transferred over to my school?"

He gave her a sharp look. "I doubt you can turn a knife into a pen, My Lady. They won't make good emissaries."

"Maybe not," she conceded. "But they're free to choose their own path once they're done training in the use of the Force. If they still feel a calling to be part of the military..." she trailed off, letting him fill it in himself.

Hux was quiet for a long time. He murmured something to himself about "Generals," and Rey remembered from that old stories that in the Clone Wars, many of the Jedi masters served as Generals in the Grand Army of the Republic.

When they reached the tram station, he seemed to come to a decision. "If such a candidate appears, I will consult you," he said at last. It seemed like he might say more, but a lieutenant approached him with a datapad outstretched. He dismissed the underling and then looked at the text on the screen. "Ah, yes. Here's the transcript I promised you." He tapped a few buttons and then handed it over to her. "This is the section concerning the selection of initiates. A little light reading for our trip back to the Command sector."

"Thank you, Grand Admiral. For the inspection and for your assistance in this." Rey took the datapad and stepped aboard the tram. 

Hux nodded graciously. "For the good of the First Order," he said calmly.

"For the good of the First Order," she repeated. It was the one point they could always agree on, even if exactly what that entailed meant different things for each of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a surprising amount of fun writing the interactions between these two. This chapter ran a little long, but there was a lot of information in it. Most of that comes from Wookieepedia, as well as the published backstories of Finn and Phasma. To be perfectly honest, I've never been as convinced that Finn is a cinnamon roll as most of the internet. The First Order stormtrooper program has some really questionable elements to it, but not enough to justify him gleefully shooting his fellow troopers on the way out with Poe. As a result, I wasn't as disappointed as many other fans when his character arc seemed to backslide a bit at the beginning of TLJ. People don't change overnight, and running away from his problems worked out pretty damn well at least once before. That said, I still love Finn as a character, and I think that seeing him as a cinnamon roll kind of takes away some of the complexity that makes him so wonderful.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you look forward to the next chapter, where Rey's going to have to have a very serious conversation with Ben.


	23. Misgivings

Rey did her best to slog through the Jedi transcript on the tram ride home. It was not, as Hux had suggested, light reading, or at least not to her. Something about trying to trace the lines of Aurebesh and the motion of the tram made her head hurt and her stomach turn. But she pushed through it, sure that what she needed was in this datapad.

Instead, she found possibly the most incriminating evidence that Luke was right yet - the Jedi order deserved to be destroyed. 

It appeared that in the Old Republic, all infants that were born in a medical facility were subjected to a blood test. This in itself wasn't unusual - there were many other diagnostics run on newborns to catch an early sign of disease or deformity. But this particular test was a scan of the blood for something called "midi-chlorians." Apparently, the presence of a high number of midi-chlorians was a dependable measure of the infant's ability to access and manipulate the Force. There were mentions of notable examples of Jedi with very high midi-chlorian counts, including one Master Yoda and "Jedi Knight General Anakin Skywalker." That latter name sent a shiver down her spine. She knew, without asking, that the last name was not a coincidence. This was Ben's grandfather, who would be later known as Darth Vader.

So it was reasonable to imagine that Ben had a high midi-chlorian count, and so would Luke. Probably Leia had a noticeable amount as well, although it was interesting that it seemed to skip a generation in that line. Maybe Han had a high count and didn't even know it. He would have been born in the last years of the Old Republic, but like most industrial planets, Corellia was probably rife with poverty and it was possible he wasn't born in a medical facility. He was, after all, an excellent pilot, good with a blaster, and could talk his way out of bad situations - or at least talk long enough to prepare to fight his way out. All the classic signs of an untrained Force user.

But that also meant that  _she_ probably had a high midi-chlorian count, too. Rey found it hard to imagine that her parents had any connection to the Force, and had still been cruel enough to sell her off to Unkar Plutt. Still, the Light wasn't the only way to the Force, and if an untrained Force user had been plagued by the Dark Side, maybe they would be driven to drink to avoid it.

All of that was speculation, though, because the text never got around to describing what a midi-chlorian was, or how precisely you found them in the blood. She didn't know much about medicine, but she imagined that trying to find something inside a cell with no description beyond "if they have a lot of them, they're good at the Force" would be like trying to find a micro-bearing in a pile of sand. She told DD-6 to remind her to send a message to the head of Medical to investigate it, but she doubted they would make any timely discoveries. For all she knew, someone within the First Order was already investigating it, and this was the mystery Hux had referred to.

The rest of the transcription wasn't helpful either. If an infant had over a certain midi-chlorian count (and that number differed depending on species) they simply informed the parents that the child would be a Jedi. There was no question of choice. No option to keep the child. From the sound of it, there wasn't much resistance to the idea - it was an honor for parents to have their child chosen. It ran in certain families - perhaps not surprisingly - and was more common among some species than others. Only if the child was heir to an important title were any special provisions made, and then only that they were allowed knowledge of who their family was, and have the option of inheriting as an adult if they left the order. Such had been the case of one Count Dooku, who appeared to have aligned himself with the Separatists and was suspected of using the Dark Side.

The children selected were left with their families until they could eat solid foods and walk. That was it. It was advised that the families focus on training the children to do these things as early as possible. The younger they were, the better. It was best, a kindness even, if they did not remember their family. Better that they be well-cared for, so they felt safe, but that there was no true attachment formed. Speech was not necessary, and once the child began to speak in full sentences it was considered possibly too late. There were exceptions, of course. A child discovered in the toddler years could be admitted if they had a promising midi-chlorian count and their parents were no longer living, for instance. The oldest known case was - once again - Anakin Skywalker, who had been admitted at the ripe old age of 9, and then only at the dying wish of one Master Quigon Jinn. With his midi-chlorian count, it was reasoned that it may have been more dangerous to leave the boy untrained, as he had demonstrated considerable ability already.

From there, Rey could easily see the similarities between the Jedi training and the early stages of Hux's stormtrooper program. The children were raised by emotionally distant but kind créche-masters, and taught to hold and use a lightsaber from the time they were mere toddlers. They were split into small groups as they got a little older, and then at age 10-13 they were reassessed to see if they were really Jedi material. If not, there were a variety of vocations closely connected to the Jedi temple - including healing and agricultural pursuits - that they might be sent to. Not returned to their families. Otherwise, they were selected by a Jedi Knight to be apprenticed to. Regardless of the elder Jedi's rank, they would be considered this child's Master, and the apprentice was called a padawan. 

What was particularly terrifying was that a padawan was expected to follow their Master during all of a Jedi's normal duties. This could mean investigating crimes, settling violent disputes, and even protecting important officials from assassination attempts. During the clone wars, this meant that children as young as 13 whose Masters were Generals were  _leading clone troopers into battle_. By comparison, the stormtrooper program seemed to shelter the children. At least there wasn't a considerable risk for death or injury until 16. 

By the time she finished the transcription, it was well into Beta shift. She'd read it all the way back to her quarters, and then sat on one of the leather couches and pored over the rest. She had a massive headache - she'd even programmed an herbal tea and a dose of analgesic into the prep station at DD-6's advice and had the droid read some of the text aloud to her. She sat, her burning eyes closed against both the physical and emotional pain, hands wrapped around the mug of caf, listened, and tried not to cry.

That was how Ben found her. She didn't open her eyes when he came in the door, but she could feel his exhaustion and frustration, nearly rivaling hers. He came to stand next to her, but said nothing. 

He'd been meeting with dignitaries, she knew. She had promised to join him when the inspection was over, if there was time. But she couldn't. Even when she was done reading the holocron transcript, there was too much weighing on her soul to smile and pretend to be happy to see a bunch of overdressed, privileged bureaucrats. 

"Was the inspection that bad?" he asked, voice tired, braced for the implications of a conflict with Hux.

"No," she opened her eyes, although she couldn't bring herself to look at him. "The inspection went well. Hux has agreed to stop "involuntary recruitment" and focus on finding unwanted children instead. That was the only real objection I could find. A lot of it's not pretty, but it makes sense, and," she hefted the datapad in a helpless gesture, "it's a damn sight better than what the Jedi did."

Ben sat next to her slowly and took the datapad from her, scrolling through it. "You read this whole thing?"

She nodded, closing her eyes again. "Didi helped."

"I take it you didn't find what we were looking for?" he asked, sounding resigned already.

Leaning her head against the back of the sofa, she sighed. "Nope. Well, I found the  _name_  of what the ancient texts were referring to in the blood - midi-chlorians - but nothing about what that might be except that it's found within cells and the more you have, the better you are at sensing and manipulating the Force. It could be anything."

Ben set the datapad aside. "That is disappointing," he said softly, "but something else is bothering you." It was not a question. She could feel him probing gently at her emotions, looking for answers. "Something Hux told you?"

At last, she opened her eyes and looked at him, fighting back the prickle of tears. "He said you ordered an entire village murdered on Jakku," she said. "He wasn't even talking about you, we were discussing Finn. He didn't feel like he was lying, he didn't have any reason to. Did... did you really order that?"

Staring down at her, his face void of any emotion, Ben blinked and then said, "Yes."

" _All of them_ , Ben? Even the children?" her vision was getting watery, but she refused to look away.

"Yes," he said, still unaffected.

"Why?" she asked, her voice nearly failing her. 

"If there was a chance that they knew something of the map to Skywalker, it was important that information not be passed to the Resistance," he explained in a matter-of-fact tone.

"The  _children_?" she demanded again.

"You would have the adults killed and leave the children too small to speak to fend for themselves in the desert?" he asked peevishly.

She just stared at him. "You're not even a little sorry, are you?" she whispered.

"I did what was necessary," he growled. "I didn't take any pleasure in it, but I would order it again if I thought it would protect the First Order. I have done much worse than that, Rey."

Her next argument, that those people were much the same as her, died on her lips. He'd said it himself - she was nothing. They were nothing too. He'd only taken an interest in her because of her sensitivity to the Force and because she might have seen the map. Other than that, she was nothing.

"I'm going to bed," she decided, standing up suddenly.

"Rey," he caught her wrist, stopping her. He wanted something, she sensed. Wanted to make her understand, to accept that he was right. 

_Yeah, and someday it will snow on Jakku_ , she thought bitterly. "I'm tired, Ben. All that reading gave me a headache. I just want to sleep."

He let her go. Rey went into her room, dressed for bed in a daze, and then burrowed under the covers. The bed slowly adjusted around her, cradling her form like sand. Soft, fluffy, clean sand. It felt wrong somehow. She closed her eyes and let herself cry just a little. Sleep came too quickly for more than that.

* * *

Rey was standing in the room in the Commons that had been remodeled into the new Audience Chamber, complete with the gold-inlaid throne. The lights were off, and only the dim illumination of the stars lit the echoing hall, leaving most of it in shadow. Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader, sat on his throne a few steps above her and considered her critically. They were alone.

"Kneel," he told her.

She knelt. The floor was cold, black marble, and the white lace of her dress bit into her knees.

Leaning forward, Kylo loomed over her. "Open your mind to me, my apprentice."

Rey frowned. "Why?" she asked.

Almost before the word left her lips, his gloved hand shot out and slapped her hard across the face. "Do not question your Master. Do as you are commanded. Obey."

Tears in her eyes and a hand pressed to the blooming pain on her cheek, Rey capitulated. She dropped the shields she had unconsciously built up to protect herself. 

"Good," he crooned. Reaching forward, he gripped her chin tightly, tilting it up as if he could see better that way.

She could feel him, digging around in her memories. Not painful, quite, but uncomfortable. Images of the things he found flashed across her eyes. The island on Ach-to. The scratches on the wall of her overturned AT-AT home. Han Solo, smiling reluctantly at her. Finn, grabbing her hand and running with her away from the incoming TIE fighters. Unkar Plutt's face, announcing how much food she'd have to eat for the next week. A shuttle, flying away. A little girl screaming, crying. Pain. Hunger. Loneliness.

Kylo made a disgusted sound and let her go. "What a disappointment," he murmured.

Rey blinked and the tears fell down her face frequently. "I... I don't understand. What were you looking for?"

"Of course you don't understand," he said with an irritated gesture. "I guess I was wrong. You're nothing special. You're nothing." Sighing, he leaned back in his throne and looked her over like a pile of refuse he had to find a way to get rid of. "I see now why your parents sold you off."

She swallowed, trying to find something to say. She felt something inside her cracking, breaking. Glancing down, she saw a river of red dripping down the front of her white dress. Rey knew she needed to say something, say the right thing, but her tongue felt thick and her mouth wouldn't move.

"A shame," Kylo said at last. "I probably could have gotten a pretty credit for you, but it's too late for that." Standing up, he pulled his lightsaber from his belt. "You know too much."

"Wait, no," Rey said weakly, scrambling backward. "Ben, please, I--"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Kylo roared, his hand striking out to clench in a claw.

Her throat seized up, and she felt herself lifting from the floor until her toes dangled just out of reach. She tried to say something, to talk around the squeezing pressure of the Force. "Please," she barely whispered.

"Too late, scavenger," he shook his head, walking towards her. His lightsaber ignited, and he held it before her face, so close she could feel the heat of it, the tears on her cheeks evaporating. "You should have run when you had the chance."

He raised his hand high, then there was a flash of red and there was pain, and heat, and she tried to scream but nothing came out. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and everything hurt.

* * *

"Rey, WAKE UP!" Ben shouted, and slapped her again, harder. He was above her, his free hand gripping her shoulder tightly. It was dark in the room, and she could barely see him.

Scrambling away, she found herself tangled in the wet sheets.

"Rey, it's me, calm down," he said in a more soothing voice.

"Please stop," she sobbed, pushing him away. "Please don't kill me!"

He froze. 

In the moment of quiet, Rey suddenly came back to herself. She was sitting in her bed, in their quarters on the  _Supremacy_. She was drenched - too much for sweat. The glass on her bedside table was empty and laying on its side. She realized he must have tossed it on her in an effort to wake her up.

"It was a dream," she murmured.

Ben just stared at her, his eyes wide with horror. "Yes." Turning away, he put his face in his hands. "I didn't know you were having them too."

Rey sat there, staring at his silhouette, thinking very hard about what he just said. "You... you have dreams where I kill you?" she asked.

He let out a humorless laugh. "Those aren't so bad. You're always quick about it. Merciful. I know I have it coming. No, the other ones... the ones like you just had... they're much worse." Sitting up, he stared at his hands, as if he could see her blood there. "I take my time. I... enjoy it."

Rey shuddered. She was, in that moment, truly terrified of him, as much as she had ever been since perhaps Takodana. But there was more to it now. The real pain of the dream, the sort that lingered even now, was from the words that he had said. As horrified as she was, she also longed to reach out to him, for reassurance and to comfort him in turn.

"Ben," she whispered, her voice croaking. "Why won't you let me sleep with you?"

He turned his head toward her but didn't meet her eyes. "I'm afraid to wake up and find that I've hurt you," he admitted. "These aren't the only nightmares I have. You have good reason to fear me." Standing up, he made to leave.

Rey scrambled out from under the covers and dashed across the bed, catching his arm as he passed the foot. "Ben, wait," she said breathlessly.

He stood, waiting, watching as she collected herself. Standing on the end of the bed, she was a little taller than him, and it was odd to see his face tilted up to look into hers. "Please, Ben," she whispered, the words of her dream echoing painfully. "Let me stay with you. Don't leave me alone."

She watched him swallow thickly, and then he wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her chest. She leaned her cheek against the top of his head and held him close. She could feel the heat of his tears through the soft fabric of her nightgown. After a moment he pulled back and she slipped easily down; the familiarity of him supporting her weight as he carried her was comforting and reassuring. He took her into the main room, brushed past the curtains, and slipped between the black satin sheets of his enormous bed without letting go of her. Pulling the covers up, he tucked her against his chest and kissed her forehead.

They lay there for a long time, listening to the hitch in each other's breath, sniffling softly. The bed was cold, but they were a little overheated, albeit reluctant to let go. They weren't alone, and that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was honestly really hard to write. Not the least of which because I put it off until yesterday and I was so tired that I went to bed at 9 and slept for 11 hours, so apologies if the quality isn't that great. I fully blame S. L. Veihl's Stardoc series, I can't remember precisely which book but I think Eternity Row. The idea of a telepath discovering that his wife is having a dream of him killing her - experiencing it that immediately - and realizing that it's not a terribly unrealistic dream is an idea that has haunted me for years. Duncan Reever is probably the villain crush (sort of? He's really only truly the villain in one book? But he's definitely not a good person) that I'm the least proud of, but he's also one of the more compelling, complex characters I've come across.
> 
> Well, you know what they say. To make good fiction, you gotta kill your darlings. Even if it makes you cry when you're done writing it. I think I've been a bit guilty of putting too much fluff in this story, but I just want so much for them to be happy lol.
> 
> Also, please don't be mad at me for bringing up midi-chlorians. I only do it because I'm obsessed with this concept of lost knowledge. Because the world of Star Wars has no hard records and only digital, which can easily be changed, in a lot of ways they have a cultural memory much closer to a people with no written records. Within two generations the knowledge of the Jedi is all but lost, and only those extremely rare hard records that Luke has found remain. Many people don't even believe the Jedi were real, that it's all a "hokey religion." That kind of fast cultural shift in a high-technology environment absolutely fascinates me. I think we begin to see some of it in our own society, with "fake news" and the growing necessity to check sources for validity. Without hard-copy primary or at least secondary sources, everything from three generations back or more would be legend and if the current powers that be didn't like something about it, they could make it just disappear. Kind of scary, really.
> 
> Also, just for a laugh, apparently midi-chlorians are real: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Midichloria_mitochondrii


	24. After the Storm

Rey awoke the next morning with a strange feeling. It was like stepping outside of her AT-AT after a particularly nasty sandstorm, everything scoured clean and the dunes all arranged differently. After days of relentless howling, the silence had an almost palpable presence. Everything felt new and clear.

And with this calm came clarity. She knew what she had to do, as if she had known all along.

They needed Luke Skywalker.

Not in the way she had originally thought. They didn't need him to fight for them, or lead the resistance, or save the galaxy in some dramatic fashion. Instead, they needed his guidance. They needed someone to help them avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

She sat up and turned to look at Ben, who was still sleeping. The lights were off, but the pale pinks and purples and yellows of the nebula outside shone through the window with something like the light of dawn. His face was relaxed in his sleep and he looked much younger, more her own age. She wondered if this was what he had looked like when Luke had looked into his mind, and tried to understand how he could have ever thought of killing the boy he loved, his own nephew. But then, Luke loved Ben in a very different way than Rey did.

As she looked down at him, his eyelids fluttered open, and he blinked up at her, a soft smile pulling at the corners of his lips. "Good morning," he told her, his voice thick and rough with sleep.

"Good morning," she replied, and bent down to kiss him. She'd meant it to be a quick kiss on the forehead, but Ben had other ideas. 

He pulled her down into a kiss that was hungry and petulantly demanding. She giggled and fell down against him, letting him roll them both so she straddled him. 

"What?" he growled, and she sensed that she was laughing at him.

"I thought we were never going to break in this monstrosity," she joked, patting the bed. 

He raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know it was something you were particularly interested in," he said with mock-pretentiousness.

"Well I did tell you to get a bigger bed," she reminded him, "but I didn't mean for you to keep it to yourself."

"Well then," he said, affecting an arch tone. "I shall have to rectify that." With that, he flipped her onto her back, eliciting another round of giggles. 

Both of them seemed determined to pretend that the horror of the night before had never happened. They clung as desperately to this moment of light-heartedness as they did to each other. For just a while, there was only them, and the bond between them.

It was a good hour later when Rey finally pushed her way through the curtains to the main room, stretching and yawning. She was debating whether she wanted to take a 'fresher now, or get in some training first, when DD-6 approached her.

"Good morning, Mistress," she said cheerfully. "How are you feeling this morning?"

As always, the droid's sense of propriety impressed Rey. She'd been a silent witness to the entire exchange last night, but asked no questions and seemed to have no interest in the matter beyond making sure Rey was well.

"I'm feeling all right, Didi, thank you for asking. What's on my agenda today?" She asked, going to the meal prep machine. Both the training and the 'fresher could wait until she'd had some food. 

DD-6 rattled off a list of meetings with various incoming dignitaries, as well as a long planning session for the coming gala. Rey made a face at her plate of breakfast - not that she objected to the food, she'd discovered an amazing Andorian recipe for eggs whipped with herbs and a fluffy fruit pastry from Naboo in her experiments, and she quite liked them both. But it sounded like a long, boring day. Oh well, at least it gave her some time to think about how she was going to approach the subject of returning to Ach-to to Ben.

When DD-6 had finished reading off her agenda, she briefly went over the messages she'd received overnight. Rey found it was much easier to have the droid read these aloud to her, as her elevated position in the First Order seemed to make people think they should use big, complicated words when talking to her. Tackling diplomatic vocabulary was not how Rey wanted to start her morning.

She half-listened to the reports, mainly unnecessary, just high-ranking First Order officials trying to get in on her good side (which usually meant they didn't like Hux) and dignitaries who thought buttering her up would get them better access to the Supreme Leader. Just once she wished someone wanted to talk to her for her.

"And lastly, her Highness Princess Leia Organa has asked that you contact her via holo at your convenience," DD-6 finished.

Rey almost dropped her mug of caf. She glanced up at Ben, who had just walked out of his room as well, and was headed straight for the 'fresher. He had frozen with his hand over the access panel, and he slowly turned back to look at the droid.

Staring back at her breakfast, Rey poked it with a utensil. "She's going by princess again?" she asked DD-6 lightly.

"As the Resistance has been disbanded, she no longer carries the rank of General," the droid explained dispassionately. "Likewise, as the New Republic Senate is not recognized by the First Order, she cannot carry the title of Senator, although she retired from state service some time ago. Her title as heir to the throne of Alderaan remains, and is recognized by the galactic community despite the destruction of the planet and the diaspora of its people."

Rey grimaced. It sounded pretty bleak - everything Leia had ever stood for had been torn away. Ben pressed the button for the 'fresher a little harder than necessary and disappeared behind it, the Force swirling darkly behind him. 

"Let's give her a call as soon as I'm done with breakfast and dressed," she told DD-6. 

"Very good, Mistress," the droid replied happily, either oblivious to the tension or too polite to mention it.

* * *

Rey chose a simple outfit, something she could slip in and out of quickly, and had DD-6 put her hair up it something that would hide that it needed to be washed. Not that she expected Leia to care, she'd seen her fresh from Jakku and hadn't minded the dirt and the grease. But still, she had an image to consider now.

That accomplished, she sat at Ben's desk and tapped at the concealed console that was flush with the wooden surface. A small holocamera popped up from the console and scanned her with a faint blue light. The projector showed her an image of herself so she could check to make sure she was properly centered, and then she entered the command for it to contact Leia.

It was only a few moments before her reflected image was replaced with the familiar figure of the former Resistance General. 

"Hello, your Highness," Rey said warmly. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

Leia rolled her eyes. "Don't 'your highness' me," she laughed. "Just Leia is fine, between the two of us."

Rey relaxed. Then this was a personal call, not official business.

"Of course, Leia. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I hear tell that you kids are throwing a party," she said with a cheerfulness that wasn't quite forced.

"You're more than welcome to attend the gala if you'd like to," Rey said immediately, worried that Leia was offended that she hadn't been invited. "We didn't exactly send out invitations, more... announced it. Anyone who wants to come can."

Leia nodded. "I'd gathered that. I've given it a lot of thought, and even though I retired from the New Republic Senate ages ago," she waved a hand dismissively, "I don't think I'm done with politics. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do with myself without having someone's business to poke my nose into."

Rey grinned. "I'd be very happy for you to be part of our diplomatic forces," she said honestly. "You'd make a good Emissary if you don't mind reporting to a kid like me," she teased.

"I'd heard something about that particular position," Leia admitted, "And it sounds like I have the right qualifications."

"Passionate about the ethical treatment of all species, not afraid to stand up for them and speak your mind, a good dose of Force sensitivity," Rey listed off. "That does sound like my ideal candidate. I'd say you have your pick of worlds, although I would recommend one that you don't have close friends in the local government."

"You flatter an old woman too much," Leia shook her head. "It might be harder than you think to meet that last requirement, but I'll see what I can scrounge up."

"Excellent. Anything else you need before I see you at the gala?" Rey asked.

Leia glanced down for a moment, perhaps the only sign of hesitation Rey had ever seen on the battle-hardened woman's face. "While I do appreciate the express invitation, I just wanted to check and make sure that... that everyone is amenable to my attending."

Rey sighed. "He certainly hasn't expressly forbidden it, if that's what you're wondering."

That made a wry smile tug at the corner of her mouth, deepening her wrinkles a little. "That doesn't mean he wants me there. I know that running a government is a very stressful job. I don't want to put undue pressure on him now. If this isn't a good time, I can always come later, and speak to just you."

She thought about that a moment, leaning her chin on her hand and staring at the 'fresher door for a moment. "You know what, let me ask him. I'll be right back."

Leia looked surprised but said nothing, her miniature projection leaning back in the chair she was seated on.

Rey got up and walked around the desk, and then opened the door to the 'fresher. The room was full of steam, and Ben was just stepping out of the glass walled enclosure, a towel around his waist and another rubbing the water from his hair.

"Ben," she said softly, catching his attention.

"How did the call go?" he asked gruffly.

"I'm not quite done talking to her," Rey explained.

He pulled the towel down sharply, looking around as if Leia could somehow see him, but then relaxed when he realized that of course, she couldn't. 

"She wants to know if her presence at the gala would make it difficult for you to fulfill your duties as Supreme Leader," she said tactfully.

Ben sighed heavily and leaned on both hands against the marble counter. After a moment, he looked up at his reflection. What he searched for there, she didn't know. Was it a resemblance to his mother? Was he trying to remember what her face looked like? How long had it been since they'd actually seen each other in person, she wondered?

"No," he said at last. "Her presence will allay any suspicions that the surrender from the Resistance was anything but peaceable," he decided.

Rey took a deep breath. "She means will it cause you enough personal grief to interfere," she elaborated.

Ben pushed away from the sink and tossed the towel he'd been drying his hair with into the bin rather harder than he needed to. "That's beside the point," he growled.

"It's not," Rey said softly. "It matters to her. She cares."

He turned away from her, but she saw his back rise and fall as he struggled to keep a lid on his temper. "You're going to take her on as an Emissary, aren't you?" he asked.

"She's the perfect candidate," she echoed.

He nodded, and at last turned back. "Then we're bound to meet at some point. Better that we do it now, in slightly more... casual environs. She'll have plenty of other people to mingle with."

Rey was surprised and touched that he was also concerned about Leia's feelings about meeting her son again. But then she remembered how much guilt he carried - his last family reunion had gone disastrously, and that was an understatement. She smiled sympathetically at him. "I'll let her know."

She turned to leave, and only as the door hissed closed she heard him murmur, "Thank you."

* * *

Once the call was ended, Rey went back to the 'fresher to let Ben know that it was safe to come out, and to take her own turn cleaning up. She was surprised to find him shaving, with an actual razor. Like most men, Ben usually had his face depilated by a droid; it made for a smoother look and took longer to return. But there was something methodical and almost meditative about the way he dragged the razor down his cheek, collecting the foam as it went. She sensed that there was some memory haunting the act as well. 

Of course, she realized, someone had to have taught him how to do it. The only likely options were Han and Luke, and both men cast long shadows on Ben. Which made her remember.

"I've had a thought about the Force school," she said nonchalantly as she stepped up to the mirror next to him, working on releasing the pins and bands from her hairstyle. 

"Mmm?" he asked without opening his mouth. Probably didn't want to get foam in it, she realized.

"I think we've fairly exhausted all the textual sources we can get our hands on," she reasoned, "so it's time to consult an expert."

He cut her a confused glance in the mirror, before returning to his own reflection, focusing on drawing a long stroke up his neck.

She took a deep breath. "I think it's time I went back to Ach-to to see if Luke is willing to help us."

Fortunately, Ben had been rinsing the blade at that particular moment, so when he dropped it, it merely clattered into the sink, and didn't do any real damage. He stared at it a long moment and then carefully fished it out of the water, picking up where he left off. "No," he said bluntly.

Rey wasn't surprised. She wasn't even discouraged. "You mentioned how having Leia at the Gala would lend some weight to the legitimacy and authority of the First Order," she reasoned. "Imagine how much more the backing of the legendary Luke Skywalker would afford us."

Ben finished the skin around his lips rather less carefully than he had done the other parts of his face, although he managed not to cut himself. She got the feeling he did it for the express reason of being able to answer her.

"One," he started, "That's an entirely different kind of message. The Resistance was defeated by the First Order. Skywalker has stood unbroken as a symbol against us, and as a bastion of the old ways. Which is exactly what we're trying to step away from," he pointed out.

"That's true," she agreed. "But he's not really a Jedi anymore."

He waved the razor in an expressive gesture. "That's a little complex for the teeming masses to understand. Two," he pressed on without pausing, "He won't come. You should know that, you've argued with him. He's impossible."

"He refused to come fight," she cut in. "He might be willing to teach, still."

"After the last time?" Ben raised his eyebrows and turned to look at her meaningfully. 

She didn't have much of an argument for that.

"Three," he announced, driving the last rivet into the airlock, "We don't have time to go gallivanting off on an adventure before the gala."

"You don't," Rey agreed. "I do. You don't really need me to greet all those dignitaries. You know my courtly manners still need a lot of work."

Ben had finished shaving, and wet a cloth to wipe the remnants of the foam from his face. "If you're set on doing this foolish thing, there's no way I'm letting you go alone and unprotected."

She rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself. I beat him last time, I can kick his old butt all the way up and down those stairs again if I have to."

Rubbing something that smelled sharp and clean on his face, Ben scowled at her in the mirror. "Last time, you were young and naive. He didn't see you as a threat, and you caught him by surprise. This time, there can be no doubt that he'll see you as a threat. He won't go so easy on you."

"He'll certainly think  _you're_  a threat," she argued. "I'll be far more likely to succeed without you there scaring him."

Ben turned to face her and stepped close so that she had to tilt her head back to look up at him. 

"Rey," he breathed, a dangerous hint of darkness in his voice. "I absolutely forbid you to go without me." His voice was firm and quiet.  _This is not a boundary to be tested_ , he seemed to say.  _This is a button you don't want to push._

She let out a long breath. "Can we go after the gala, then?" she challenged.

"We'll see," he said evenly, and backed off. "Maybe something else will turn up before then."

Rey suppressed a smile as she watched him leave the 'fresher. She knew it wouldn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks! Sorry I didn't have a chapter to post last week. Things have been a bit of a whirlwind for me lately, as I'm in the middle of republishing my book with the new publishing company I'm starting up with a bunch of friends of mine in the business. We all got tired of our respective companies treating authors badly and decided to create our own imprint that focuses on transparency and making sure authors can get the most out of their books. So if you're in the market to publish, please don't hesitate to hit me up on Tumblr or Facebook (MariaArnt/ Maria Arnt).
> 
> I'm also starting to get a little frustrated with this story. We're closing in on the climax, and I just don't feel like there's enough dramatic tension. The story seems to drag on from beat to beat, without any real build in the conflict. If it were an original novel, I'd be tempted to rewrite it from the beginning. As a fanfiction, it's tempting to leave it behind. But while it hasn't garnered as much of a following as my other stories, I do feel like you guys have been a lot more vocal and supportive, so I'm sticking to it for y'all. I really appreciate all of the wonderful comments.
> 
> As an apology for last week's lapse, I've finally gotten around to finishing up the Reylo theme music I promised all those ages ago. I'll be posting it on Tumblr this evening (Saturday), so be sure to check it out!


	25. Reunions

Rey took a deep breath as she watched the sleek Mon Calamari shuttle land in front of them. She wasn't nervous, but Ben was edgy enough for both of them, his weight shifting from foot to foot every few seconds. Most dignitaries didn't get a greeting from the Supreme Leader as soon as they landed, but were made to wait until it was convenient for him. But then, most dignitaries weren't the Supreme Leader's mother.

At last, the boarding ramp lowered, and Leia stepped out. She'd worn a dark blue dress with just a bit of a train, made of thick gabba wool. It was cut into sharp angles of a lighter blue, and her hair was done up with matching jewels. It was the nicest Rey had ever seen her look. For once she really did look like a princess, or honestly more like a queen.

Rey was surprised to see two other people disembark behind her, but instantly recognized Holdo and Poe. Holdo's dress was a marvel of dark plum silk shot through with gold threads, and in her violet hair, she wore a matching halo that dripped with hair-thin chains and sparkling crystals. Poe was even more of a surprise. He wore formal clothes like she'd never seen him in, including a short and dashing cape. Considering how badly things had gone last time, Rey was genuinely shocked that he'd shown up.

By this time Leia had reached them, though, so she smiled and held out her hands to take the Princess'. She took the greeting briefly, but then pulled Rey into a hug. She returned it without hesitation, but this close she could feel how nervous Leia was too. If anything, it made her want to hug the older woman harder. Then she stepped back, and held her gaze for a moment as if she could draw strength from the young Jedi.

Then, at last, she turned to face Ben. They regarded each other for a long moment, and then Ben extended a hand. "Welcome to the  _Supremacy_ ," he murmured.

"Thank you," she said just as quietly, and took his hand. They stood there far longer than propriety dictated. But Rey understood better than most how much the simple touch of a hand could mean - did mean, to Ben. Then she stepped back, although Rey noticed that Ben held on to his mother's hand for just a moment longer.

"I'm very proud of what both of you are doing," she told them. "Very few people in the history of the galaxy have found themselves in your position - with the power to make a real difference. I'm glad you've chosen a path that benefits the people of the galaxy instead of yourselves."

Rey ducked her head. She wished that their plan was a little more true to its purported goals, but at least they weren't being deceitful for their own benefit. In the end, whatever kept them in power and kept the galaxy at peace was worth it. She wondered if that's what the Jedi would have said, too, and wasn't really sure she wanted it to be.

And then it was Amilyn Holdo's turn. She stepped up to Rey and gave her a quick hug as well, pulling back with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. "I love your dress," she said conspiratorially.

Laughing, Rey glanced down at what she wore. It was a sleeveless white dress patterned with gold leaves, and a swath of white gossamer went from her left side to over the right shoulder, and then draped back around the front of the dress near her knees, before finally ending behind her left shoulder. She had picked it because it seemed simple without being casual, but now she realized it was very much something Holdo would wear.

"I love yours, too," she replied. 

"But this one," Holdo stepped back and gave Ben the once-over, "Needs to add a little color. Would it kill you to wear something other than black?"

Rey was a little shocked by the casual way the ex-Admiral addressed the Supreme Leader, but then remembered the way Ben had reacted to her fashion advice for her own dresses. This was apparently not a new conversation, but a continuation of an old one.

"Amilyn," he said, his voice tight.

"Maybe a gold edge on your cape? Hmm? A forest-green tunic? White gloves?" she went on, tapping her finger against her lips.

"Amilyn," he repeated, and this time it was a warning.

"Red-soled boots?" She said at last.

Ben paused, his mouth already opened to protest. He snapped it shut, and tilted his head, considering. "I'll take it under advisement," he conceded.

Holdo laughed and took his hands as Leia had done initially with Rey. Something passed between them, something like forgiveness. Maybe it was just that Amilyn hadn't seen Ben at his worst, or maybe she wasn't willing to. Whatever the reason, it was easier for her to put it aside and move into the future. It put Ben at ease, Rey could tell, and she understood then why Leia had chosen her as a companion on this trip.

Poe was last. He hugged Rey, too, but it was more of a back-slapping, fellow pilot's greeting than the graceful embraces of the two women. He didn't have much to say other than "Good to see you," and then he, too, stepped back.

Visibly swallowing, he approached Ben. "Supreme Leader," he said gruffly, nodding his head in what might have been a perfunctory bow or just a casual greeting.

"Dameron," Ben said in reply, his awkwardness returning. 

Poe seemed like he wanted to say something more, and then thought better of it. If Rey hadn't been force-sensitive, she might have thought he had held back on a joke due to the formality of the moment. But there were deeper waters running there. Something in Poe had changed, and Rey wasn't sure what. She would have to keep an eye on him during the gala.

"Thank you all very much for coming," Rey said warmly. "We'd love to talk longer, but unfortunately we do have some last-minute preparations we must make," she trailed off. How did you end this kind of thing?

"Of course," Leia agreed. "We'll see you at the gala tonight."

A lieutenant appeared and guided the three visitors to a transport, and once he had them loaded in he drove them off towards the dignitaries' quarters.

Once they were out of sight, she and Ben turned to the turbolift that would take them back to their quarters. As soon as the doors closed, Ben seemed to deflate a little. Rey stepped close to him, slipping a hand beneath his cape to snake it around his waist. He put his arm around her shoulder, and she leaned her head against his chest. They stood like that, leaning on each other, and tried not to think about the ordeal before them.

"I'd rather fight the Praetorian guards again," Rey murmured petulantly.

Ben let out something like a chuckle. "That was a good fight," he agreed. "Fighting has always been easier for me."

She nodded against his tunic. "I got so used to fighting I forgot there was anything else."

Using a finger to tip her chin up, Ben searched her eyes for something. "Want to run away with me?" he suggested.

"Yes," Rey said fervently, her voice filled with mock-relief.

He smiled, then, a true smile, and dipped his head to kiss her. "Maybe we should go on that trip you suggested," he murmured. "After this, one angry old Jedi can't be that bad, right?"

Rey laughed and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. 

* * *

A few hours later, Rey was sitting in her dressing room, practicing her speech for the thousandth time in front of the mirror. The effect was somewhat marred by her fluffy robe and the greenish paste smeared all over her face -- DD-6 swore it would make her skin glow for the holocameras -- but her dress still hadn't arrived, so it would have to do.

Two days ago she had discovered there had been something of a miscommunication about what Rey was going to wear for the Gala. She had assumed that Ben would pick something out for her, and he had imagined that Rey would prefer to pick something out for herself.  

They'd had a rushed conversation about it between two meetings, consulting DD-6 on her opinion of the latest fashion and what would be appealing to the most cultures but offensive to none. The order was placed, and the dress was promised to be delivered in time.

But then it had turned out that some of the materials were not available aboard the Supremacy, and rather than let the Supreme Leader and Right Hand know and risk their ire, the atelier had simply ordered them delivered via the fastest hyperspace routes. The dress would be done on time, she was reassured, just the same.

And yet, here they were, an hour before they had to set out for the assembly hall, and the dress had not arrived.

The mask on Rey's face started to itch, so she stormed off to the 'fresher to wash it out. When she came back into her bedroom, a pleasant chime sounded in the air.

"Someone is at your door," DD-6 explained as she stood there, looking around. "You were supposed to leave that on for another three minutes," she chided.

"It itched," Rey complained, "And now I have company apparently." She pressed the access panel on the door that led directly to the foyer.

She was met by a First-Order uniform and a large white bag. Looking up far enough that she had to crane her neck a bit, she was surprised to find that the delivery man was, in fact, a woman. She had short blonde hair and blue eyes, and looked... not old, Rey decided after a moment, but careworn. Like life had not been easy on her, and she'd learned to be hard back. A fellow survivor.

"Thank you!" Rey said, immensely relieved, and took the garment bag from her. 

"Not a problem, My Lady," the woman told her, giving her a tight smile. Then she saluted and returned to the turbolift.

Rey was a little surprised she hadn't waited for a dismissal, but she knew everyone was extremely busy right now. And so was she. She rushed back into the bedroom and laid the back on her bed, unzipping the bag.

"Oh, no," Rey breathed. 

"What's wrong, Mistress?" DD-6 asked, hovering over her to examine the dress. 

"Didi is this what you ordered?" she said in a high, tight voice, pulling the dress from the bag by the hangar.

DD-6 scanned it carefully. "This is precisely what I ordered," she confirmed.

Rey shut her eyes for a moment, trying to find the calm of the Force. It escaped her. "BEN!" she shouted, storming through the door to the main room. 

Ben was in his bedroom, pacing as he, too, recited his speech. He looked up when she rushed through the curtained doorway, DD-6 trailing after her and trying desperately to keep the dress from dragging on the floor.

"Your dress came!" Ben said with immense relief.

"Yes. It. Did," she said through clenched teeth. "Didi says this is what was ordered. Does this look like what we discussed?" she demanded.

He looked the dress up and down, and if she'd been in a better mood she might have laughed at how much he resembled DD-6 scanning it. "...yes?" he said at last. 

"I CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH IT, BEN!" she shouted. 

He stepped back half a step at her ferocity. "You said you liked the sound of illusion lace," he said, "that's what it is," he gestured to the bodice of the dress, which was a collection of lace, beads, and shiny scales suspended on netting that was barely visible.

"I thought it was like an optical illusion!" she cried, "not an illusion that I'm wearing nothing!"

Ben sighed heavily. "No. It's very popular, though. And everything important is covered," he tried to reassure her. "Look, most of it's backed with solid fabric to match your skin," he pointed out, fingering the lace.

Tears started rolling down Rey's face. She knew it was probably ruining her complexion, but she couldn't help it. The stress was too much, and this was the last straw. "I can't, Ben. I can't go out there, and have trillions of people see me... be recorded for all history... wearing something that makes me look like... like an Ionian comfort girl!" she sobbed.

Taking the dress from her hands, Ben laid it gently on his bed and then turned to pull her into his arms. "No one is going to think that about you," he reassured her. "And if they do, I'll kill them."

Rey sniffled against his chest, noticing for the first time that he was shirtless. It was a sign of how worked up she was that she hadn't before, but now she found it pleasantly distracting as always. "You can't kill people for thinking the wrong thing," she murmured.

"Why not?" he teased, a hint of darkness behind it.

"Because," she fought a hitch in her breath, "we said we weren't going to be that kind of dictators."

"Hmm," Ben said, feigning concern. His hands, which had been rubbing a soothing pattern on her back, had found the tie of her robe and began to pull it apart.

"What are you doing?" she laughed, scrubbing away some of her tears with the sleeve of the robe.

"What does it feel like I'm doing?" he asked, slipping his hands below the soft fabric, passing them over her breasts before sliding to her back and then down to press her hips towards his. There was no mistaking his intentions there.

"We don't have time," she gasped.

"I will always have time for you, Rey," he murmured his promise again. "I don't care if the whole galaxy has to wait. We're not leaving this room until I've proved to you that you are so beautiful that no one could ever think such degrading things about you."

She raised an eyebrow at him, and then her breath hitched for a very different reason as he lifted her up so she was forced to dangle or wrap her legs around his waist. "That's some really backward logic," she complained.

"All right, then," he said, turning to tumble her onto the bed. "Then imagine you're wearing it just for me. And everyone else is naked."

At that, she giggled. The sound was lost as he descended atop her, kissing her so deeply it stole her breath away. He released her, only to begin kissing a trail down her chest, paying lavish attention to one breast and then the other, before passing lower. He eased her legs up over his shoulders and bent to worship her most intimate places.

Rey's head swam. The stress of the day nagged at the back of her mind, but Ben's tongue and lips made it hard to think of anything else. Then he slipped a finger within her, and she forgot everything but the delicious heat that was boiling up beneath her skin. Looking down, she watched the motion of his head as he licked and suckled. After a moment, he glanced up, and the heat in his gaze was enough to send her spiraling over the edge.

Crying out, she let her head fall back against the black satin sheets. He didn't stop, there, and it was too, too much, until she found herself clamping his head between her legs to make him stop. He chuckled against her sensitized skin and then crawled up the length of her. Slipping one hand beneath her, he fell to her side and pulled, flipping her on top of him. She braced her hands against his chest, but he wasn't interested in waiting. Grabbing her hips, he guided her to just the right place and then eased himself in.

"Ben," she whispered, her head spinning. "Ben, wait."

"Don't think about it," Ben murmured back. "Just feel."

He took her slowly at first, and the slow drag of flesh against flesh was intoxicating. Then she felt the gentle touch of his mind in hers - asking to be let in more. Rey hesitated, remembering her nightmare, but she was also curious. She let him in and found herself instantly linked to his mind as well.

What she found there made her blush as nothing else he had done to her had. His thoughts were wholly of her; his wonder at her beauty displayed before him. The exquisite feel of her gripping him so tightly, so sweetly. The perfection in the arch of her back, the way she moved against him. Rey let out an involuntary moan, and not only felt him twitch inside of her in response but felt his rush of pleasure at the sound as if it were her own.

She could get lost in this.

As their passion drove higher, though, their thoughts lost some coherency, and there was nothing but touch and movement and the little sounds she made in her throat. With twice as much input, it wasn't long before they both came crashing into each other, neither one sure where one started and the other began.

Rey pulled away from him mentally, the feedback loop of pleasure too overwhelming. He let her go, reluctantly, but held tight to her physical body. They lay, gasping, all the tension that had been so tightly wound a few minutes before now dispelled into lassitude.

"Better?" Ben murmured against her hair.

She nodded. "Didi's going to kill me, though. I'll have to start the whole regimen over," she sighed into the crook of his neck.

"Well," he said ruefully, letting her go, "you'd better get started, then."

Rey swatted at him playfully and headed for the 'fresher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me for spending so much time describing people's clothes in this chapter, it's a weakness of mine. And don't worry about Ben and Leia not saying much - I promise there's more to come. This just wasn't the place and time for it. Baby steps.
> 
> Rey's dress in the first scene: https://pin.it/mcdt7cl6p6ubke
> 
> The Pronouncement Dress is a creation of my own, which I might draw if I get the time. But here's something similar to the bodice, so you can understand Rey's horror: https://pin.it/4pmvl3mqt3n2zq


	26. The Gala

Rey barely remembered the Pronouncement. She'd gotten herself cleaned up and into the dress - it did look a lot better once it was on, although she still felt very exposed - and then DD-6 had done her makeup and hair just in time for them to be rushed out of their quarters and down towards the Assembly Hall. She remembered the noise - deafening even through the bulkheads before they entered - every one of the 200,000 seats was filled, and each of them seemed to be cheering at the top of their lungs. She remembered being surprised by how hot the lights shining on her were, almost like being back on Jakku, and was oddly glad for how light her dress was. 

She had a vague recollection of delivering her speech. The words seemed to tumble out of her mechanically, and she worried later that she hadn't put enough emotion into her voice. Of Ben's speech before hers she remembered nothing, and of Hux's after only that he seemed to shout a lot.

Somehow, she found herself standing in the commons, surrounded by thousands of the galaxy's elite, and the gala in full swing. Turning, she found that she was standing with Leia, Holdo, and Poe, who were chatting amicably with a Mon Calamari representative.

Blinking, Rey looked to Leia, who was sipping a colorful drink. "Did I do okay?" she blurted out.

Leia laughed and put a hand on Rey's arm. "You finally woke up!" she teased. "Don't worry, it's perfectly normal to blank out like that when you're not used to public speaking. I've seen it a thousand times. You did wonderful, by the way. Instincts took over, I'm sure. You've been a little out of it since the gala started, but it's only been a little while."

Letting out a deep breath, Rey's hands began to tremble.

Holdo seemed to notice her distress, and snagged a drink from a passing servo-droid, pushing it into her hands. "Drink this, but pace yourself," she advised. "We don't want you getting drunk." She eyed Poe reproachfully, and Rey saw his cheeks were pink as he slapped the Mon Calamari on the back with a hearty laugh.

Rey sipped the drink as instructed. It was much too sweet and burned her tongue, but on the way down her throat, it was warm and soothing. She took a deep breath and looked around at the milling crowd. "Where's Ben--" her eyes went wide, "I mean Kylo?" she corrected herself quickly.

A warm smile passed over Leia's face, and she glanced unerringly to a spot over Rey's shoulder, nodding upward with her chin. "He's coming for you," she said.

Turning, Rey saw Ben wading through the crowd in their direction. His fiercely determined expression made most people get out of his way quickly, but there were always a few bootlickers who couldn't pass up the chance to get his attention. He greeted them as briefly as he could politely manage, and then pushed on, but his patience was thinning. The last two he ignored completely, brushing off their offended gasps.

He didn't stop until he'd wrapped her up in his arms, his cape swirling around to encompass and protect her. "You disappeared," he murmured, just loud enough for her to hear him over the din of conversation. "You were so distant after the Pronouncement, and then when I was greeting someone, I turned to introduce you and you were gone."

"I'm sorry," she said, "I was really out of it. I'm okay now."

Ben glanced up at the trio of ex-Resistance fighters. Leia and Holdo both had knowing smiles on their faces, while Poe looked like he'd seen Kyuat diver sprout legs and walk on land.

"I see you were in good hands, at least," he said, loud enough for the others to hear, and released Rey.

"Just a bad case of nerves," Leia reassured him. "She probably came over here because she recognized us, and then relaxed enough to snap out of it."

Ben nodded and moved to rest his hand against the small of her back possessively. "Thank you for looking out for her."

"Of course," Leia smiled, a twinkle in her eye. "I've come to think of her as family."

Looking down at Rey, Ben swallowed hard. "She does have a way of making you feel that way," he agreed.

Blushing profusely, Rey took a gulp of her drink. This time, the warmth in her throat ended with an unpleasant burning in her stomach.

"You should eat something with that," Holdo suggested, and glanced around at the various servo-droids making the rounds through the crowd. "Have you tried these?" She grabbed a couple little globes on sticks and handed one to Rey.

"No," Rey smiled and took the hors-d'ouevre, sniffing it delicately before popping it into her mouth. Whatever it was, it was warm, juicy, and savory, and she felt instantly better.

Suddenly, Rey had a mission. She had to try every single morsel on offer tonight. The challenge was not to be too obvious about it. She had to pace herself - no more than two per conversation partner. She could do this.

Poe introduced her and Ben to the Mon Calamari representative he'd been joking with earlier, and they were off. Person after person, from every imaginable species. Violet-skinned Panterans to a trio of Twi'Leks in a variety of colors, and less human-looking types from Bothans to Rhodians. 

There was even a Revwian, who looked like nothing so much as a giant, ambulatory gourd. It struck up a fascinating conversation with her about the similarities between the Jedi philosophy of the Force and the Revwian "Tyia." Rey had to break her two-morsel rule and downed quite a bit of her drink to avoid saying too much in that conversation. Not that she wasn't interested - she made a mental note to ask DD-6 as soon as the Revwian left to be sure to keep in contact with it, as it could prove a valuable resource for her school. But right now she didn't have the wherewithal to pretend she knew what she was doing where the Force was concerned.

Eventually, the faces and names blurred together. She was very glad for DD-6's presence hovering at her shoulder because she knew the little droid would record everything for later review should she need it. Her stomach started to hurt a little, and she wondered if it was her current drink, a sickly-sweet concoction the fluorescent green of hyperdrive coolant. After what seemed like ages of chatting with strangers, it was an enormous relief to spot a familiar face making its way towards her.

"Poe," she said cheerfully, and then caught him as he stumbled a bit. He smelled strongly of alcohol, and his face was a bit red. He grinned at her but kept glancing over at Ben, who was deep in a conversation with the Professor Zenuba, the economics expert from the University of Naboo they had consulted in drafting the bill of rights.

Alarms went off in Rey's head. "Poe, I think you've had a little too much," she murmured to him, pulling him a few steps away so they could stand next to a potted plant. She checked to make sure it wasn't another sentient creature.

"You're probably right," Poe agreed, eyeing the drink in her hand. "Never one for drink much, but I never really needed help to find my courage before."

"Courage?" Rey prompted. Her logical mind panicked, wondering what sort of desperate plan Poe had crafted. But the Force was calm, and so she tried to calm herself as well.

"I had... have... some things I'd like to say to him," he gestured towards Ben. "Things I've been thinking about since the last time we met, on the  _Falcon_." He frowned, that determined look crossing his face again.

"What kind of things?" she asked, almost afraid of the answer.

For the first time, Poe fully tore his eyes away from Ben and focused on her. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's probably stupid," he admitted. "But a few cycles back, Finn and I got into an argument. I made the mistake of suggesting that maybe, just maybe the First Order would become something better with you at the helm. He got all bent out of shape and we got to shouting." He glanced away, uncomfortable. "We both said some things we probably shouldn't have. And then he said... he said something that really made me think. He said that if we give up, if we surrender and make peace with the First Order, it means that we were wrong all along and that all those people we killed make us murderers."

Rey drew in a sharp breath. Hux had implied much the same thing, calling into question Finn's refusal to kill innocent villagers when he was perfectly happy to murder his comrades in the dozens when he went AWOL. But she didn't know that Finn might feel that way too - might be questioning his decision to defect and what he did to make his way free of the First Order.

"That's not true, Poe," she put a hand on his arm.

"I know that, actually," he laughed. "I didn't think he was right, and I still don't. But it made me think." He paused again and looked at Ben for a moment. "I did kill a lot of people. What's worse, I got a lot of my friends killed. And probably some of the people I killed in the First Order weren't really that different from my friends. Just... regular people, fighting for a cause they believed in. Maybe they'd never had the luxury of thinking about whether that cause was right or wrong. Maybe they didn't have all the facts."

He was quiet for a long moment, but Rey said nothing, sensing there was something more he had to say.

"Maybe we didn't have all the facts either," he said quietly, his voice breaking a little. 

Rey felt a wave of empathy for the pilot. Were it not for the strange looks they were already receiving, she would have given him a hug. "That's what you wanted to tell him?" she asked instead.

"Well, kind of," Poe laughed again. "I'm making a bit of a muck of it. See, once I realized that maybe some of the things I'd done weren't exactly stellar, it made me think that maybe... maybe other people had their own reasons for doing terrible things."

Blinking up at him, Rey wondered if she were understanding him correctly. "Are you saying..."

"What happened to me, to both of us, was terrible. But I can't hold on to that. If I do, it'll just fester. I need to let go of it to move on with things. It's not really about him. I just need to move past it."

"And you think forgiving him will help with that?" 

"Yeah. I guess," he agreed, shaking his head. "Told you it might be stupid."

"It's not stupid," she countered. "And for what it's worth, even if it's not for his sake, I think it would do him a lot of good."

Poe nodded tersely, and took a deep breath, focusing on Ben once more as if he were preparing for a strafing run.

Rey put a hand on his chest. "But this isn't the place, or the time, to do it."

He deflated, and then laughed. "You're right, of course. But when am I going to have the chance? He's a busy guy, ruling the whole galaxy and whatnot."

She smiled. "I'll make the arrangements." A thought occurred to her. "Actually, I may want you to stick around for a bit. If it's alright with you I'd like you to take a few tests for Force sensitivity."

That made him laugh harder. "I'm no Jedi, Rey."

She shrugged. "Your piloting skills are a little beyond the pale. You never know."

He put a hand to his chin. "What kind of tests?" 

Rey faltered. "I... I haven't really worked that out yet. Something to gauge your reaction time, I guess? And a few others, to see if you have any other skills. A small blood sample," she added, remembering the midi-chlorian mystery.

Poe made a palms-up gesture, not quite a shrug. "If it helps."

"It will," she assured him. She spotted Leia drifting past, and managed to catch her eye. Leia took one look at Poe, frowned, and then came straight over. 

"I'll take it from here," she murmured under her breath as she passed. "Dameron, how many drinks have you had?" she demanded.

Rey backed away carefully, not wanting to be a part of  _that_  conversation. She should be getting back to Ben anyway. She found him still talking with Professor Zenuba, but now another academic had joined them, a graceful Mandalorian woman who, it seemed, specialized in sociology. The whole conversation was a little over her head, but Ben put an arm around her and made an effort to include her.

Just then, a servo-droid rolled past with an hors-d'oeuvre she hadn't tried yet. She snatched it up like a steel pecker spotting scrap in the sand, and popped it in her mouth. This one was savory - a light and crispy pastry with something salty and a little bit slimy on top. She liked it, though, it tasted fatty and rich.

But as soon as she finished eating it her stomach started to hurt again. She pressed a hand against it, worried about what could be causing the pain.

"How many of those have you had?" Ben asked while Professor Zenuba and the Mandalorian were having a rather heated debate about the meaning of pacifism.

"Just one. I'm trying to try one of all of them," she explained gleefully.

He struggled not to smile. "Rey, there are hundreds of little trifles being served at this party. If you ate one of each kind you'd make yourself very sick."

She blinked at him. "Why? Are they bad for you?"

Ben glanced out at the crowd, as if looking for an explanation. "I mean, not terribly. But you can't eat that much at once. Haven't you ever had too much to eat and gotten a bellyache for it?"

Rey thought about it seriously. There had been rare occasions on Jakku where she had managed to earn more portions than she could probably hope to eat in a day, but she'd always rationed them out in case she didn't get any more for a while. "No."

She saw a flash of anger deep in his eyes, but he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I promise you I'll make sure you have the chance to try everything served here over the next few weeks, but you have to pace yourself."

Before she could respond, the Mandalorian Professor addressed her directly. "Your Mercy," she said with a sharp smile, "What is the Jedi opinion on when it is appropriate to kill?"

Rey blinked at the unusual title. She was the Hand of Mercy, the Right Hand, but she'd never been addressed that way. Then the question registered. "The ancient texts suggest that life is part of the Force, and therefore sacred. As a result, they suggest violence only to prevent the loss of it, and encourage non-lethal attacks if possible," she summarized.

"Ah!" Professor Zenuba seemed very pleased with her response. "A clever solution - what about non-lethal violence, hmm? If you're not killing them, then no life is lost."

"I think there's a lot of wiggle room in  _if possible_ ," the Mandalorian responded. "Death may still occur. And where do you draw the line? By the end of the Clone Wars, the Jedi were leading troops into battle. Even if they weren't killing with their own hands, they were ordering others to do so." She seemed very pleased to have caught Rey in a logical trap there.

"I think much changed within the Jedi order between the writing of the ancient texts and the Clone Wars," Ben said darkly. "When they assumed that the Sith had been eradicated, they ceased to think of the Dark Side as immediate and pervasive, but more as an abstract concept. So they weren't even aware how far they'd drifted into it until Darth Vader arose, and by then it was too late."

Professor Zenuba brought up some other erudite fact, and Rey sighed. It was going to be a very long night, she could tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of chapter last week, I discovered a leak in my bedroom and reported it to my landlord a week and a half ago. Since then, we've had a cavalcade of plumbers and restoration experts in and out of the house. There are four large holes in the main floor ceiling and an even bigger hole in the upstairs wall and floor, so we've been living in the basement and sleeping on an uncomfortable futon for over a week. (Turns out the upstairs bedroom AC unit was leaking into the windowsill, which it's never done before. Restoration guys say a lot of people have been having that problem this year, due to the really long heat waves, usually, it only gets above 90 for a couple days at a time here, this year it was weeks at a time). For 5 days there were very loud fans everywhere that made the whole house about 90 degrees F. Today someone is supposed to come fill the holes, but they were supposed to come yesterday and didn't, so I'm not confident. I'm really, really ready for this to be done and get my house back.
> 
> If this chapter seems a little disjointed, it's because I wrote it just a little at a time, when I could catch snatches of peace. I'm having a really hard time with Leia & Ben's interactions, and I'm coming to realize there isn't going to be one big reconciliation scene, it's going to be a slow and painful process. *sigh* Fortunately, we're just about done with the difficult-for-me-to-write parts of the story and it should all be downhill from here.


	27. Rumor

By the time the Gala was over, Rey could barely stand, and Ben didn't seem much better. Even Hux seemed somewhat deflated, and had begged off the party to attend to some military matter or another - one didn't need to use the Force to tell it was a fabrication - over an hour before it ended. When they at last exited the turbolift to their quarters, they were practically leaning on each other for support. Forgoing the main entrance, Rey headed straight for the door that led to her bedroom, and Ben didn't protest, following after. 

Once inside, Rey slipped off her dress without fanfare, just wanting to be free of its folds and trains. DD-6 scrambled to help her, and also carefully removed the gold leaves and headpiece from her hair. She sat on the edge of the bed, exhausted.

Ben likewise dumped his cape on the floor, tossing away his gloves. He sat beside Rey and wordlessly started unbraiding and unpinning her hair, running her fingers through it when it was free. DD-6 returned with a nightgown for Rey, and he helped her pull it on. She could barely get her arms over her head and immediately curled into the bed afterward.

Taking a long look at her, Ben shrugged off his tunic as well, stripping down completely.

"Would you like me to fetch something from your dressing room?" DD-6 asked politely.

"No thank you, Didi," he murmured. "Too hot in here for anything else, anyway." He laid down beside Rey, forgoing the thin blanket she used as her only cover, and curled himself around her. They were both asleep within moments.

* * *

Rey blinked awake, recognizing by the lights in her room that it was well into mid-morning. She wasn't sure why she had awoken, even as late as it was. She felt groggy and like she still needed several hours of sleep. Rolling over, she discovered that Ben had sat up. That must have been what woke her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, worried it was another nightmare.

He shook his head. "Just hungry. You?"

"Yes," she answered automatically, and then thought about it. Her stomach was still a little unhappy at her for all the unusual delicacies she'd foisted on it the night before. "But only a little," she amended.

One corner of Ben's mouth quirked up. "Wait here," he told her. "I'll be back in a bit." Getting up, he ambled towards the 'fresher.

Rey smiled sleepily as she admired the view of his unclothed body - she didn't often get to see it from this angle, and it was a damn good view. Once he was gone, she turned onto her back and yawned. "Didi, do I have any messages?" she asked absently.

DD-6 came to hover near her. "You have received 832 requests for interviews for the position of Emissary," the droid announced cheerfully.

Feeling like the bed had dropped out from under her, Rey gawked at her assistant. "How many?"

"832," she repeated, "but only 47 had the necessary requirements including a letter of reference from the ruling body of the world or system they wish to represent. I've scheduled these out over the next few months, with the first occurring twelve cycles from now, as you requested."

Letting out a breath, Rey threw an arm over her eyes. "Thank you, Didi, I don't know what I'd do without you," she said sincerely.

The droid seemed a little perplexed by the comment. "Perhaps you should consider forming a team of organics who can handle some of the less important aspects of your role?"

She had a point. Even a droid could only do so much. "Good idea. Remind me to ask Hux if I can steal a few of his trainees who aren't doing so well on the combat front."

"Reminder set," DD-6 chirped.

The door to the main living area opened, and Ben came in, swathed in his robe from the 'fresher. He had a small tray in his hands, which bore bowls and cups, all steaming invitingly. Rey made to get up and join him on the couch, but to her surprise he came back to bed, balancing the tray carefully until he was propped up against the headboard.

Rey shifted to match him, and then accepted a bowl of very blandly prepared grains. It was exactly what she wanted - something simple - and she dug in gratefully. Instead of their usual caf, Ben had brewed two mugs of tea, and she watched as he poured an alarming amount of sweetener into his own.

"Have you checked your messages yet?" Rey asked with dread.

"Just a glance," Ben replied with dismay. "That was enough."

She laughed. "Well, you know, you're an important guy. People want to talk to you," she teased. Then something tugged at her memory. "Speaking of which," she stared down at her breakfast, not sure how to put it now that it came down to it. "I talked to Poe last night," she said.

"I noticed," Ben said, just a little too lightly.

"He needs to have a private conversation with you," she said slowly. "It's of a personal nature, not political, or I'd send him through the regular channels. It's all good, I promise."

Ben scowled down at his mug of tea for a long time. 

"You know I wouldn't ask about this if it wasn't important, for both of you?" she asked quietly.

"I know," he sighed. "All right. Sometime this afternoon. Better to get it done with."

Rey leaned her head against his shoulder for a moment. "Thank you. Didi," she called out. "Please let Poe Dameron know he can contact us at his leisure this afternoon for a private meeting."

DD-6 began to chirp an affirmative, but then interrupted herself, her "smile" lighting up and flashing. "Urgent incoming message from Princess Leia Organa," the droid announced.

Moving quickly, Rey shoved her food back onto the tray in Ben's lap, and made for her desk, grabbing a wrap she'd left on the couch along the way. Sitting down, she accepted the transmission on the console set into the wood.

"I'm sorry to wake you," Leia said by way of greeting, "but have you seen the holonet report this morning?" she asked in a rushed voice.

"No..." Rey said slowly, and then pulled it up on her datapad. Immediately, she groaned. 

DID RIGHT-HAND REY KILL LUKE SKYWALKER? read the headline. She opened it and scanned through the article, not brave enough to watch the holovid report. 

"I'll spare you the gory details," Leia told her. "There's two very salient points. The first is an anonymous source claiming to be an ex-Resistant fighter," she growled, "who leaked the fact that prior to becoming the Right Hand, you were last seen leaving for a mission to find Luke, map in hand. However, since the First Order also knew that you had the map, it could have easily been surmised by someone with that information there."

"Doesn't much matter," Rey said morosely, "since it's true."

"Right," Leia sighed. "The second is a little more damning. Apparently, someone claims you said something about all the Jedi being dead last night?"

Closing her eyes, Rey rested her elbows on the desk and put her face in her hands, trying desperately to remember everything she had said at the Gala. "I may have said the Jedi  _Order_ is dead," she admitted. 

"Oh, Rey." Leia made a sympathetic face and shook her head. "Well, what's done is done. Now you'll need to focus on damage control. I've already been contacted, of course. I made a statement that I don't believe it's true, but since Luke hasn't directly contacted me, I don't have any presentable proof. My ability to sense his presence in the Force isn't what's considered empirical these days."

Ben, who had pulled on the clothes he'd left on the floor the night before by now, came to stand behind Rey's chair. "What can we do?" he asked tersely.

Leia's holograph looked up at her son, surprise on her expression. "To be honest, at this point, there's only one thing you can do. Someone will need to return to Ach-to and obtain some kind of proof that Luke is still alive. It would be best if he came back into public view, but..." she sighed. "He's never been fond of being in the spotlight."

Rey looked up at Ben too. He returned her gaze and tightened his lips. "Looks like we're taking that vacation you wanted after all," he grumbled.

Resisting a smile, she turned back to Leia. "We'd discussed the possibility of returning to see if Luke was willing to help me start the school for Force-users," she explained. "If we move quickly, we should have time to do it in the next few days before things get into full swing." She paused for a moment. "Could we borrow the  _Falcon_? Showing up in a First Order shuttle would probably start things off on the wrong foot."

Leia blinked. "I don't know, you'll have to ask Chewbacca. Or I can ask for you, if you'd like. He's a little more likely to loan it to me, after all."

Rey blurted out, "You're coming too?" at the same time that Ben said, "Wait, why isn't the ship yours?"

"Of course I'm coming," Leia said, "I doubt you'll get him off that island without my help, and if even that fails at least you'll have another witness for the press. As for the ownership of the  _Falcon_ , Chewbacca has been copilot far longer than I've been a passenger on it. Besides that, your father and I..." she stopped to clear her throat a little. "We drifted apart after we lost you. I hadn't seen him in years before the battle on Takodana. We never officially separated - it wasn't as if we disliked each other - but it's enough that I don't feel I have a claim on any of his possessions." 

Leia explained it in a very detached, professional manner, but there was obviously a well of grief and regret there that Ben shared in a very different way. For once, Rey felt like her sensitivity in the Force made her an intruder on something private that she shouldn't have seen.

"Yes, I would appreciate it if you could ask for us," he said at last. "The last time we spoke, it did not go well."

Leia nodded. "I'll make the arrangements, then."

Once she had signed off, Ben let out a long sigh. "I'll talk to Hux. Although I doubt he'll mind us being out of his hair for a while."

Rey laughed. "Yeah, he'd love a chance to take the helm," she agreed.

* * *

In all the rush of getting ready for their impromptu mission, Rey almost forgot about Poe. When he finally sent her a message, she and Ben were in one of the massive hangars, discussing the arrangements for the docking of the  _Millenium Falcon_. They had chosen to go there in person so as to keep the details of their mission as classified as possible.

DD-6 alerted her of the incoming message, and Rey put a hand on Ben's shoulder. He seemed to know without her asking what the question was.

Looking around the hangar, he sighed. "It's as good a place as any. It's designed not to carry sound in here, or the engines would make everyone go deaf. Let him know where we are."

Rey nodded and replied to Poe's message quickly. 

When Poe arrived, he shook hands with Ben and the two of them walked off some distance. For politeness' sake, Rey asked a nearby technician to describe to her some of the innovations on one of the nearby fighters, the very latest model the First Order was producing. Fortunately, as soon as the man realized she actually understood what he was talking about, he was happy to ramble away on details and specs, for both in-atmo and space performance of the fighter.

Listening with one ear, Rey was careful to remain in the line of sight of the two men as they spoke. Ben was right, no sound carried even though they were no more than 20 meters away. But she couldn't quite shake the irrational thought that Poe had requested the meeting as a cover for some suicidal assassination attempt. There was no basis for the thought, no sense of warning in the Force. If anything, she could sense the sincerity and pain of the pilot, which backed up his ostensible reason for being there. 

But then, if he was telling the truth, her presence would be a reassurance to Poe. He could trust that his words would be private, but if Ben decided to retaliate for some reason, she could quickly come to his defense. So she stayed where they could see her anyway.

The emotions rolling off the two men were complex and painful, but they lacked the taint of the Dark Side. This was the pain of healing, a good, necessary pain. After a while, the emotions began to subside, leaving a weary peace in their wake. Rey thanked the technician and made her way over to Poe and Ben.

She was surprised to find them discussing some of the same specs she'd just heard described. Poe was asking questions about the handling of the craft, and Ben was answering them in a way that suggested he'd spent some time in the cockpit of the new crafts. She didn't know he had personally tested them and felt oddly jealous. She'd like to try piloting one, but had assumed that such things were done by special testing pilots. Then again, with his reaction time and having been raised by possibly the best pilot in the galaxy, Ben likely had better qualifications than anyone else. 

Rey eased herself into the conversation seamlessly, and the three of them enjoyed a surreal moment of conviviality. Eventually, the subject of discussion turned to the  _Millenium Falcon_. 

"So, I heard you're borrowing her for a bit," Poe said, the casual nature of his statement revealing he knew the reason why, but wouldn't reveal it. "Any chance you need a pilot?"

Ben and Rey looked at each other, and Rey nearly laughed at his 'how do I explain this' expression. "No, I think three hot-headed hotshot pilots on one ship is probably too many," she joked.

Poe laughed. "You're right. I'd just hoped... back when I had the map, you know, I thought I'd be the one to go. He worked with my mom, you know. Well, actually, she almost killed him once, but that was before. I wondered if he might remember any stories about her."

Rey was touched. Poe didn't want to see Luke the Legendary Jedi. He just wanted to connect with someone who had known his mother. In a strange way, she could relate. Even knowing now, as she did, that her parents had been terrible people, she still would have cherished the opportunity to hear about them from someone who had known them first-hand.

"Well, if things go right, maybe you'll have the chance to ask him anyway," she said sympathetically. 

Poe grinned. "Good point. Well, good luck, and may the Force be with you." With a wave, he headed out of the hangar, off towards the turbolifts. Rey couldn't help but notice that his step was lighter, with the jaunty bounce she associated with the confidence of hotshot pilots. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite not having much time, this chapter was much easier to write. I feel like I've finally hit on the good part of the plot lol. Too bad it's taken me this long to get to it!


	28. Return

Chewbacca agreed, reluctantly, to let them borrow the  _Millenium_ _Falcon_. He was not, however, interested in going along. Best case scenario, he reasoned, he'd end up sitting on his furry butt for a week again, staring at porgs. It was a polite excuse, and Leia, Rey, and Ben accepted it without comment. 

Bringing the  _Falcon_  to the  _Supremacy_ , therefore, required a bit of logistics. Fortunately,  Holdo was ready to leave for home, and so Poe took her on the small craft they had arrived on, rendezvoused with Chewie, and swapped ships. Chewie continued on with Holdo, and Poe returned with the  _Falcon_. All this took only a few hours, which left plenty of time to set out before the end of the cycle.  

Back in their quarters, Rey explained the climate of Ach-To - wet, often rainy and chilly, but warm when the sun came out - and then went to her own dressing room to prepare. She was glad she had asked DD-6 some time ago to replace her original clothing, which had gone missing. Probably discarded by the laundry droids, deemed too ragged to be worth repairing. She felt a pang of loss as she donned the new clothes, a close imitation but in better quality fabrics. Those clothes were all she had brought with her from Jakku, and while she didn't really think of the desert planet as her home, it was certainly the closest thing she had before the  _Supremacy,_ which was really only home by virtue of Ben being there. It was a stark reminder of how much her life had changed so quickly. Perhaps to comfort herself, she had DD-6 put her hair up in the old style with three small buns. Last of all, she grabbed a First-Order issued white officer's poncho and stuffed it in a leather satchel with a few other essentials. Funny to think, that, as a few weeks ago she wouldn't have thought to bring anything other than clothes and her lightsaber. 

Stepping out of her Bedroom, she found Ben tapping away frantically on a datapad on his desk, making last minute arrangements for their absence. When he glanced up he froze, and she didn't miss the catch in his breath. 

The sight of him gave her much the same reaction. It seemed they had both chosen to return to an earlier form for this journey, as he had also dressed in the same outfit he'd worn when they battled on Starkiller Base. A long black tunic, ribbed sleeves, boots, gloves, and a ragged cowl. If he had worn the mask, it wouldn't have been difficult to think of him as Kylo Ren instead. 

"What happened to your mask?" She found herself asking aloud, without really meaning to. 

Ben stood, pushing his chair back into the table and not meeting her eyes. "I destroyed it. I had thought that it would somehow make me closer to Darth Vader, make me understand him. But I came to realize that was a pretension, and I was just wearing it to hide and seem more intimidating than I really was." 

Rey took a moment to digest that - or rather store it away for when she had more time to ponder it - and put one hand on her hip. "You look plenty intimidating as it is," she told him. 

"Thank you," he said, lips twitching. 

"I didn't mean it as a compliment." She frowned. 

Coming out from behind his desk, Ben put his hands on her shoulders. For one microsecond, Rey had a flash of memory, of the nightmare where she knelt before him. But then he bent and kissed her forehead softly. 

"I know you didn't." 

"But Luke -" Rey began to argue. 

"Will think whatever he likes of me. The way I dress isn't going to change that," he said. 

She was about to drum up another point to argue when she caught a hint of anxiety in his presence in the Force. He wasn't dressing to intimidate Luke, he was putting on a sort of mental armor to protect himself from the coming confrontation. 

"All right," she sighed.  

Ben fingered the edge of her gauze wrap, which was no longer really gauze but an incredibly strong, lightweight synthetic fabric used for some industrial function that DD-6 had suggested.  

"What's this for, anyway? I always wondered. Seems like it would get in the way in a fight," he asked. 

"You'd be surprised," she said, and quick as a flash had his hand twisted in the tail end of it. He let out a breathless laugh as she let him go. "It has a lot of uses, though. Shades you from the sun, keeps the dust out of your mouth, you can use it as a rope if you need one," she listed.  

"Resourceful as ever," he murmured as he shook out his hand. 

"The  _Millenium_ _Falcon_ has just exited hyperspace," DD-6 politely interrupted. 

"Thank you Didi," Rey said. Taking a deep breath, she looked to Ben. After a hesitation, he nodded, and the two of them set out for the hangar where it was scheduled to dock. 

* * *

When they met Poe, Rey pulled him aside and gave him a few terse instructions for while she was gone. She was leaving DD-6 in his care, and the two of them would have to work as her eyes and ears in their absence. Poe was more than happy to "get under Hugs' collar" if necessary, but she advised him not to stir up too much trouble unless he thought it was needed.  

The journey to Ach-To was not a long one. Like last time, they would be making it overnight, catching sleep in shifts. By unspoken agreement, Leia took the captain's quarters, sequestering herself with her grief and memories not long after she boarded. Rey and Ben would use the relief pilot's bunk as needed.  

At least the porg infestation had been cleaned out. Poe had explained that he and Chewie had run into an animal breeder who thought they would make decent pets, and they'd sold the lot to him except for one which Chewie kept with him. 

Rey smiled to herself at that thought as she pulled up the navcomputer's logs. This was the other reason she wanted to go in the _Falcon_ \- until Luke agreed to come with them, she didn't necessarily want the First Order to have the map to find him. Pulling up the history, she found her last trip on board and programmed it in reverse from their new location. She looked to Ben, who seemed somewhat uneasy in the pilot's seat. She'd assumed he had more familiarity with the craft and so took the co-pilot's seat without thinking. Now she realized he may have thought of it as  _his_ seat, and might never have been the main pilot.  

Well, she wasn't moving now. If he wanted to take co-pilot he could do so upon arrival. Until then, there wouldn't be much need for more than one person in the cockpit at a time.  

"Navigation is set," she told him. "Ready for Hyperspace?" 

Ben nodded tersely and put his hand on the lightspeed accelerator lever, but then hesitated, staring at it.  

Reaching out, Rey slowly put her hand over his. She still didn't think it was a good idea for him to come along, but she was beginning to see why it was necessary for him. Glancing at her, he visibly swallowed, and then they both moved the lever forward, stretching out the stars into lines and then flashes of swirling light. 

* * *

The approach alarm woke Rey from a dreamless sleep in the relief pilot's bunk. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and then made her way to the cockpit. Ben glanced over his shoulder as she entered, his hands drifting over the controls with long familiarity. "We're coming up on Ach-To," he said. "You want to land?" 

"Yeah," Rey agreed. It wasn't the easiest approach, and she had the benefit of experience. "I'll go wake Leia first." 

When she returned to the main hold, she found that Leia was already up and had a mug of caf in one hand. She seemed to be leaning rather heavily on her cane this morning.  

"I heard the alarm," the older woman explained. "I didn't sleep much anyway. That bed was always awful, and I’m too old to sleep rough.” She slid into the dejarik table booth with visible difficulty. 

“It won’t be long before we’ve landed,” Rey promised, and went back to the cockpit. 

Rey returned to the cockpit and slid into the captain’s chair. They entered atmo easily and approached the island at a slow enough pace to not seem threatening. Due to the differences in planetary rotation, it was late afternoon, and the twin suns hung low behind it. 

“That’s...” Ben whispered. 

She glanced over to see him staring at it open-mouthed.

“But that’s the island from your dreams,” he said, incredulous, looking to her to confirm. 

“Yep,” Rey said resolutely, and began the landing sequence. She tried not to think too hard about what it meant that she’d seen the island long before she’d ever come here, over and over again. It made her feel like she didn’t have much control over the path of her life, and she didn’t like that. 

Bringing the Falcon around the island, she brought it in for a precise landing on the outcropping of rock that was just barely big enough to accommodate the ship. Fortunately, the planet’s one moon was small enough that it didn’t exert much tidal force on the planet-wide oceans, or they’d be swamped at high tide. Glancing up at the sky out the cockpit windows, she decided it wouldn't likely rain soon, so she could forgo the poncho. "Don't leave the boarding ramp open for any amount of time, not unless you want another porg infestation," she told Ben. 

"I'm coming with you," he said as he unbuckled his crash webbing and stood, as if that were obvious. 

She stared up at him. "I... I don't think that's a good idea," she said, hardly believing he suggested it. 

"I won't let you face him alone," he insisted. 

Rey sighed. "I'm not going to fight him, Ben. He doesn't have a lightsaber. Last time we fought he nearly cracked his skull on the steps. He's old and tired and we might argue but he won't put up a fight." 

Ben frowned, and turned to complete the cooldown sequence on the back panel of the cockpit. "I think you may be underestimating him. Last time you came here, you were innocent and naïve. You knew nothing of the Dark Side. He didn't see you as a threat, so he responded passively. This time..." He looked away, haunted by memories. 

"You know he didn't really mean to kill you," she said softly. "It was a misunderstanding." 

His gaze cut back to her, angry. "He was standing above me while I slept with his lightsaber poised to strike!" 

She nodded. "He'd been poking in your head, checking to see how bad the Darkness was. When he saw how much there was already, he panicked for a moment, and his instinct was to attack that darkness. But he realized almost instantly that he was wrong. By then, though, you'd woken up and seen." 

Ben wasn't buying it. "That's what he told you?" 

She nodded, "After I pointed his own lightsaber at him," she said solemnly. "It's the truth, Ben. I saw it, saw his memory just as you showed me yours. They don't match up perfectly, but then whose memories do? What's more, I felt what he felt. He regrets that mistake every day. It's why he came out here. The guilt of it has been slowly eating him away." 

Shaking his head, he turned away again. 

_Stubborn as always,_ she thought. "Has it ever occurred to you that if he really meant to kill you, you wouldn't have had time to wake up?" she pointed out. "Why was he just standing there, staring at you?" 

Rey watched his back as the tension slowly bled out of it, his shoulders lowering. He took a few steps, and then sat heavily on one of the passenger seats, putting his face in his hands. After a moment, his shoulders began to shake. Panicking a little, Rey scrabbled out of her crash webbing and went to him, standing between his knees and gently prying his hands away. He grabbed her around the waist and buried his face in her chest, but she saw that his face was streaked with tears before he could hide it. 

Stroking a hand over his hair gently, she reached out in the Force to try and understand how to comfort him. What she found was a wreck of confused emotions. Anger, guilt, fear, regret. She realized that while she had been trying to convince him that Luke wasn't dangerous just to win the argument, there was far more at stake for him in accepting what she said. If she was right, if he chose to believe her - and a good part of him did - then that meant that everything he'd done as Kylo Ren was based on a mistake, a lie. All the suffering he'd endured at Snoke's hands, all of the terrible acts he had committed. All because he had attacked based on an assumption. 

"You reacted out of instinct for self-preservation," she reassured him. "And correct me if I'm wrong, but Snoke had probably told you something to make you think the worst of Luke?" 

He nodded against her poncho. "He said he would fear my power. Would try to destroy me if I became stronger than him." 

Rey sighed. "Well, he wasn't entirely wrong. I think the word "stop" would be a little more accurate than "destroy." But Luke's first instinct was self-preservation, too. It sounds like Snoke set the both of you up, probably planned for something like that to happen." 

Ben took a long, shaky breath, and began to compose himself. She felt him latch on to his anger at Snoke, let it burn away the other emotions for the time being. It worked. Sitting back, he scrubbed his sleeve against his face, and then pulled out a square of cloth to do a better job of it.  

"I'm sorry," she said softly. 

He shook his head, dismissing her apology as unnecessary. "I'm still going with you," he said thickly. If anything, he was now more determined than ever. 

She heaved another sigh. There would be no convincing him, she could tell. Well, maybe Leia's presence would keep things from getting too out of control. "All right then," she said resignedly, and then made her way out to the main hold, Ben following after. When they walked in, Leia took one glance at Ben's reddened eyes and glanced to Rey, her expression lined with worry. Rey smiled and shook her head, silently reassuring her. "Are you ready to go?" 

"Go?" Leia asked. "What, you mean up all those steps you told me about?" she let out a bark of laughter. "Not a chance. Not with these old bones. Luke probably cheats and uses the Force. No, I'm staying right here thank you very much. My brother will be able to tell I'm here if he stops being an idiot long enough to look." She tapped her cane against the deck as if to emphasize her point. 

Rey made a helpless gesture. There was no managing either of them. "Skywalkers," she muttered, and headed for the boarding ramp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this went out late today, I've been struggling with my internet connection lately, and Evernote is not playing nicely. It keeps deciding it can't save my work and deleting parts I've written. It's infuriating. I may switch to a different platform if this keeps up.
> 
> I'm really excited for the next chapter, which is one of the story points I imagined from the very beginning! I feel like we're finally getting into the meat of the story, although it's mostly Ben doing character development now instead of Rey. She's still got some growing to do though, which will be fun.


	29. Petition

The trek up the stairs seemed to take forever. Last time, it had gone by in a flash. She had been so exhilarated to finally meet the real Luke Skywalker that she'd hardly noticed how long it took. This time, she half-dreaded seeing him again, and each step upward weighed on her. She caught sight of movement ahead. 

"What was that?" Ben asked behind her. 

"Caretakers," Rey groaned. "They're native to this place. They don't like me." 

"Why not?" Ben scowled. 

Rey stopped on the step and turned, putting her back to the cliff face. "You remember the first time we saw each other, through the Force?" 

He nodded. "You tried to shoot me, hard to forget that." 

"Well, I was inside one of those huts," she gestured above them.  

"Ah," he said briefly, but didn't seem quite convinced. 

"And... other things got damaged. Seems like I was always wrecking something or other. Even crashed a party," she sighed. 

The corner of his mouth twitched suspiciously. "I see." 

Rey whirled around and stomped up the remaining stairs. She hadn't even cleared the last of the steps into the cluster of huts when the familiar voice called out. 

"I don't know why you bothered, I told you before and I haven't changed my mind. I am not leaving this..." Luke's voice trailed off. Rey looked up to find him standing next to his hut, staring. It wasn't her he was looking at, but rather over her shoulder. 

Ben and Luke stared at each other for a long, tense moment, the weight of the years between them hanging heavy in the air. 

And then Luke turned and ran up the hill at full speed. 

Rey sighed and slumped. "This is why I didn't want you to come," she said peevishly. 

Ben scowled. "How did he not sense I was coming?" 

Forcing her feet to keep climbing the hill, Rey rolled her eyes. "He's cut himself off from the Force, for the most part." 

"Why?" he asked, aghast. 

"I don't know. I guess he thinks he's punishing himself or something. He's a crazy, stubborn old man. Who knows? Come on." She began to jog after Luke. She knew better than to try to match his speed. The island was slick with moisture and there were rocks hidden in the grass. Better to take her time, it's not like he had a lot of places to go. Besides, she was pretty sure she knew where he was headed.  

Sure enough, as they reached the top of the hill she spotted the old Jedi scrambling down towards the fishing hole. Muttering huttese curses under her breath, she followed after at a slightly quicker pace. They'd almost caught up with him when he grabbed the giant spear and swung across the cleft to land on a narrow ledge in the cliff on the other side. Ben darted forward, but Rey held out a hand to stop him. 

"You can't stand on that ledge all day, Master Skywalker," she called across, the wind trying to pull her words away. 

"That's what you think!" he called back.  

Exasperated, Rey turned to Ben. "Was he always like this?" 

"Yes," he answered without hesitation. 

She shook her head. "Come back over, we just want to talk!" she shouted. 

"Oh sure," Luke's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "You bring the boy who's devoted his life to finding and killing me, and then you say you just want to talk. Listen, I've got some lakeside property on Tattoine for sale, very lush." 

Rey scowled. "Be reasonable, Luke!" 

"Reasonable? You gave yourself to the Dark Side for a pair of pretty eyes, and you want me to be reasonable?!" he spat. 

That was quite enough of that, she decided. "I gave myself to him, yes, but not to the Dark Side. Look at me Luke. Look like you taught me to look. Am I wholly a thing of Darkness? Is he?"

The old Jedi Master scowled at her. He might not be attuned to the Force, but he could tell when someone wasn't bluffing all the same. After a long moment, he took a deep breath and reached for something at his hip.

Ben had his lightsaber out and ignited before Luke's hand had even made it underneath his poncho. Rey wasn't far behind, but her reaction was to Ben, not Luke.

Luke froze. "Not here to kill me, huh? You seem awfully eager to do it."

Pointing the red blade at his uncle, Ben scowled. "I'm here for one reason: to protect her. She doesn't think you're a threat, but I know better."

Grief washed over Luke's face, and he sighed. Moving slowly, he pulled aside his poncho to show what it was he reached for. Not a blaster, but a flask. Taking it from his hip, he unscrewed the cap and took a long swig, keeping his eyes on them the whole time.

Rey made a disgusted sound. "Never would have guessed you'd turn to drink," she said, feeling cold. They sold you for drinking money. She took her thumb from the ignition switch on her lightsaber and clipped it back at her side.

"It's not alcohol," Luke said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Well, not only. It's an herbal tincture the caretakers make. It affects one's connection to the Force."

Ben scoffed. "Need help to get it going these days?" he joked harshly.

Luke raised his eyebrows. "It doesn't amplify the connection. It dampens it." At their confused looks, he sighed. "Imagine I've been in a very dark room for many years, and now I must examine something in full daylight. It would hurt my eyes. This," he lifted the flask for another swig, "is like wearing a blast helmet." That done, he took another deep breath, and then closed his eyes and looked.

Rey could feel the Force shift around her, flowing between the two of them and Luke, across the chasm that separated them in more ways than one. It seemed that this moment had been long in coming, and everything shifted slightly now that it had arrived. The wind itself died down, leaving the cliffs eerily quiet. She felt measured and weighed, and made the effort not to flinch away from it. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ben's jaw clench tightly and his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, but he didn't back down either. 

After a long moment, Luke opened his eyes once more. He stared at Rey as though seeing her for the first time, shocked. "I thought... that first lesson, when you gave yourself to the Darkness, I thought it was some weakness, some flaw in you. But I see now what I failed to see then. In you, there is..." he seemed to struggle for words, "a balance. A perfect balance. Light and Dark, in equal measure. Neither stronger than the other, not even trying to vie for dominance as they do in him," he gestured to Ben.

"Powerful Light, powerful Dark," she quoted back to him.

He frowned. "What are you?"

She shook her head, a few words from her speech at the Proclamation coming to her in an instant of inspiration. "I'm nobody. I'm just a scavenger, a desert rat. I can build things and take them apart and fly anything, but my life doesn't have any special meaning. I am just like everyone else in this galaxy, it's just that I've been given the chance to set things right."

Something seemed to click for Luke, some epiphany. He glanced at Ben and then back to her. "Did you kill Snoke?"

"No," Rey said simply. "He did." She gestured to Ben.

Now Luke regarded him fully. "And so the Apprentice becomes the Master," he quoted darkly.

"Something like that," Ben agreed, shifting his feet. "I am the Supreme Leader now, anyway."

Luke nodded. "And what are you, to him?" he asked Rey.

Rey looked to Ben. "Many things. But officially I am his Right Hand, the Hand of Mercy. And that's why I've come here. I want the Force to be something everyone can access. Anyone with the ability, regardless of their political or spiritual beliefs. No dogma, no argument as to whether the Light or the Dark is better. Just knowledge, and the power to use it without someone telling them how they should."

"You want chaos, then?" Luke spat.

"No. I want balance. The Force guides us all. If we try to put limits on it, rules and doctrines of our own fashioning, then we diminish it," she replied.

"Then what do you want me for?" Luke asked. 

"I want you to help me teach them. You said it was time for the Jedi to die, and I agree. But the knowledge they preserved shouldn't die with them," she explained.

He let out a humorless laugh. "Oh, no. I'm not making that mistake again."

"But I need your mistakes most of all," Rey pleaded. "We can't learn from mistakes we haven't made yet."

Luke stared at her for a long moment, mouth half open. At last, he looked down and then seemed to sag a bit. He looked very old and very tired.

"Luke, come back over. Please. You don't have to decide now. We can talk more." She held out a hand as if he could reach across and take it.

He nodded, and then flapped a hand at Ben. "Call him off and I'll come over. I'm not armed."

"A Jedi Knight is never truly unarmed. The Force is his most powerful weapon," Ben quoted.

"Well, then you'll be just fine without that... thing." He scowled at the crossblade lightsaber.

Ben drew in a sharp breath and glanced at Rey, who nodded. Still seething, he extinguished the blade and clipped it to his belt once more.

That done, Luke made the leap back across the chasm on the fishing spear. Without the running start, it was much harder, and he grunted with the effort. Rey sought to catch him, but he waved her off. "I'm still not convinced," he told her. "And I doubt you have anything to say that will get me off this island."

She smiled a little. "You're probably right," she said. "Which is why I brought someone else to help me."

Luke paused a moment, and then his head turned unerringly to where the Falcon was perched on the coastline. "Leia," he breathed. 

* * *

Leia must have been watching the stairs, or perhaps she felt their approach in the Force. Whatever the case, she had impeccable timing as usual, and the boarding ramp lowered just as Ben, Rey, and Luke in the rear came to the base of the steps. By the time they reached the Falcon, both suns had set fully and it was growing dark. The light from within the ship haloed her figure, spilling out onto the rocky promontory and reflecting on the waves around it.

Making her careful way down the ramp, Leia came to stand in front of her brother, within arms' reach but not touching him. The twins looked at each other for a long time, and what passed between them Rey couldn't say.

"I missed you," Leia said at last, her tone somehow making it an accusation of his fault.

Luke sighed. "I missed you too. It's too quiet here."

Leia let out a bark of laughter and put a hand on his arm. "Come inside and we'll catch up." She turned to do just that.

He didn't move. "We can talk out here," he said somberly.

Turning back, his sister gave him a look of mock innocence and then smiled. "Should have known it wouldn't be that easy."

A smile tugged at the corner of Luke's mouth. "Han may have taught you a few tricks, but he taught me how to watch my back too." He turned to Rey, peering through the gathering darkness. "Can you get a fire going?"

Rey nodded and went on board the Falcon to get some material to burn. It was faster than going back up the stairs for what little wood she could find there. Ben followed her into the main hold and stood there clenching and unclenching his fists. His gaze was fixed on the hatchway back to the boarding ramp. 

She set the fire kit on the dejarik table and then rested a hand on Ben's arm. "You can stay in here," she assured him.

Ben let his gaze drift along the interior of the ship. "Not much of an escape," he murmured.

"You should get some sleep," Rey told him. "You took a lot longer shift than I did. I'll make us all some food, and then you can rest, okay?"

He sighed, and then sat heavily in the relief pilot's bunk. "All right," he said dully.

She frowned. She hadn't expected him to give in so easily. It spoke to just how tired he really was. She guessed he'd been hyped up on adrenaline until now, and this was the letdown.

Back outside, she set down the fire kit and got it started. Luke and Leia had found rocks to sit upon but weren't really talking. Rey felt like an intruder and was glad she had an excuse to leave again. "I'm making breakfast," she told them. "Do you want anything, Luke?"

"Why not," Luke sighed. "As long as it's not fish. Or eggs."

She smiled. "I think I can manage that." She hurried back inside, hoping her absence would be enough to get the siblings to finally talk. 

Rey prepped Ben's meal kit first, and he had wolfed it down and passed out by the time she'd finished the other three. Stacking them carefully, she made her way to the boarding ramp. At the top of it, Luke's voice made her freeze.

"They're just kids, Leia," he said mournfully.

Crouching, Rey found she could see him and Leia around the ramp's hydraulics and remain somewhat concealed. Her curiosity got the better of her ethics, and she stayed there, listening. 

Leia waved a hand. "Well Rey's about the same age we were when you blew up the first Death Star, but that's beside the point. The point is that they are children, and they need our help. They're hopelessly lost at this. But they were in the right place at the right time, and they did what was necessary to overthrow the evil megalomaniac, just like we did."

"Technically I didn't kill the Emperor," Luke pointed out. "Our father did."

Leia didn't pause. "And Rey didn't either, Ben took care of that for her. I suspect for very similar reasons. I guess he got to follow in his grandfather's footsteps after all."

Luke scowled. "Ben is dead. Kylo Ren is not your son," 

Shaking her head, Leia gestured back towards the Falcon, and Rey ducked back to avoid being seen. "I don't know if you've noticed, but she doesn't call him Kylo Ren. He's still in there, and he's what she loves."

"Leia, he killed Han," Luke stressed. "His own father."

Leia considered that for a moment. "You know, Han told me something once. He was very drunk, so the details are fuzzy. But he told me about a man he'd known when he was young. Bennet, Beckett, something like that. He didn't know him very long, only ran a couple of jobs with him. But he said the man was the closest thing to a father figure he'd ever had all the same. Kind of got him started as a smuggler."

"Sounds like a real paragon of virtue," he replied glibly, and leaned forward to poke at the fire.

"He was wholly without scruples," Leia said gleefully, and then sobered. "Which is why it ended badly."

Pausing in his efforts, Luke turned to look at her directly. "Han killed him."

She nodded. "Beckett betrayed him on a job. Han could have let him go, let him take the goods and get away. It would have been the easier thing to do. But he said... he said he didn't even hesitate. He shot him and only then thought to regret it. But the man died slow, and told him he'd made the right choice. It taught Han something about himself. Because while letting Beckett go would have been the easy thing to do, killing him was the right thing. Apparently, the goods he was making off with were instead used to start the Rebellion itself, although he didn't realize it at the time. He just knew there were good people who needed them to fight bad people, and that was enough. There was more, something about a girl, but I wasn't so interested in that part of the story," she chuckled.

"So Han shot his father-figure for a good cause," Luke said bitterly. "I let my father die in my arms for the same cause. It's not the same as what Kylo Ren did."

"It's not," Leia agreed. "But I think it taught Ben something about himself. Something he didn't expect. And most of all, I think Han probably understood why he had to do it better than anyone else could have."

There was a long silence, and Rey chose that moment to step out before the food went cold and revealed that she'd been eavesdropping. She smiled brightly and offered Luke his tray. "Genuine Nerf Steak and mashed Gapan Roots with Gravy," she read off the title of the kit. It sounded - and smelled - delicious to her.

Leia made a face but Luke took the tray eagerly, inhaling the steam rising from the food with great enthusiasm. He began shoveling it in his mouth immediately, sucking in air to cool his burned tongue.

"If I knew you were that desperate for Nerf I would have brought you a real steak," Leia laughed, taking her tray with a warm smile for Rey. "Those things taste terrible."

"Honestly I can't remember what the real stuff tastes like," Luke admitted. "This is good enough."

Rey sat on the ground opposite him and began to eat her own meal. "The _Supremacy_ has some really excellent meal prep stations," she told him cheerfully. "Much better than portions. Ben has been helping me try all the new foods. He likes Corellian food, but that's a little too heavy and greasy for me."

Luke blinked at her, pausing with his tactical spork halfway to his mouth. "Is that so?" he asked vaguely after a moment.

She nodded and swallowed a bite. "Lately I've been trying hors-d'oeuvres, I ate so many at the Gala after the Proclamation that I almost got sick. Didn't know you could do that," she laughed.

To her surprise, that brought the ghost of a smile to Luke's face. "Leia's been filling me in," he told her, "about what you two have been up to. Setting up a... benevolent dictatorship and all," he gestured widely.

Rey nodded. "It's not ideal, but it's the most effective way to help the most people in the galaxy right now," she told him. "We haven't come up with a good method of succession yet. I'm hoping we'll find something a little more democratic. Leia says a galaxy-wide vote wouldn't be a good idea because it would just turn into a popularity contest."

Leia nodded, finishing a bite of her food. "Elections work well on the small scale, when a decent percentage of the population can be expected to personally know the candidates and vouch for them. Beyond that," she sighed, "It just becomes a matter of who can make the best holonet commercials."

Stirring the grains on her plate, Rey frowned, thinking. "Not that I want to become some kind of Theocracy, but do you think it would work to have someone from the House of Mercy appointed based on their grasp of the Force, and then have them trained by the House of Might?"

"That might work," Leia mused. "You should see what Ben thinks. Where is he?" she glanced back towards the closed boarding ramp.

"He's asleep," Rey told her. "He took the last pilot's shift, and..." she glanced over at Luke briefly, "he's had a rough day."

Luke scowled down at his Nerf steak and jabbed it with his spork a little harder than necessary.

"I'm surprised he came," Leia said softly.

Rey sighed. "I tried to convince him not to. If it was anyone but me, he probably wouldn't have even thought of it. He... worries about me. I can take care of myself, and I think he knows that. But he insists on protecting me anyway."

Leia nodded. "If he lost you, he'd probably lose what little grip he has on his sanity," she said quietly.

Both Rey and Luke stared at her in disbelief.

"Say what you will, I know my son," she said with raised eyebrows. "I can tell when he's pretending that he has everything under control but is really about to fall apart. He's like his father that way. The worse he feels, the harder he bluffs."

Setting her tray down for a moment, Rey chewed her lip. "He's under an awful lot of pressure," she admitted. "He's afraid that if he makes even one mistake, it will all come crashing down around us."

"He's not wrong," Luke said tartly.

She frowned at him. "And he could really use a few more people he can actually trust to rely on," she snapped. "But those seem to be in short order."

Everyone was quiet for a long time after that, finishing their meals as they listened to the waves crash against the island in the darkness. The small fire crackled away feebly. It didn't give off much light but was warm enough to banish the chill of the wind. Rey finished her meal without tasting much of it. Setting the tray aside, she wrapped her arms around her knees as she watched the flames flicker.

At long last, Luke set his tray down too and sighed heavily. "It's clear I can't refuse your petition out of hand," he said morosely. "But I need time to think about whether I can truly teach again."

Rey nodded. She didn't expect him to be enthusiastic about the idea anyway. "You can take as much time as you need to make your decision about teaching..." she said.

"But?" he prompted.

Looking sheepish, she glanced to Leia and back. "Would you maybe consider coming back with us anyway?"

Luke turned to his sister, a suspicious glint in his eye. "What's going on that you haven't told me?"

"I didn't want it to affect your decision," Leia said archly. "It would be unfair."

"Leia," he growled in a warning voice.

The former senator sighed. "We also need you to come back because everyone thinks Rey murdered you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can tell I'm having fun writing this again because the chapters are getting longer lol.


	30. Revelation

"Excuse me, what?" Luke sputtered.

Rey sighed. "I may have mentioned something about the Jedi Order being dead at the Gala, and now it's all over the holonet that I killed you like I killed Snoke," she said miserably.

The old Jedi stood up suddenly, pointing at her. "You said you didn't kill Snoke!"

"I didn't! But that's not what we told everyone," she struggled to keep her voice even. 

"Why the hell not?" he demanded.

"It would have compromised Ben's succession as Supreme Leader. Outside of the Sith, that's not exactly seen as a good way to take over," she snapped.

"Nor does it set a good precedent for succession," Leia put in.

Throwing his hands in the air, Luke stomped over to the edge of the rock and stared down at the dark waves below. "So you just want to show me off, then? Give your rule some kind of legitimacy?"

"No," Rey said firmly. "In fact, we had discussed approaching you before the Gala but decided we didn't want that. We wanted the First Order Federation to stand on its own feet, instead of being seen as a restoration of any Republic or Empire."

Leia nodded her agreement. "A good choice. I made sure that my presence was minimal for the same reason. To show support, but not control or influence of any kind."

Luke sighed visibly, his shoulders rising and falling. "Would you have come then, if not for this crisis?"

"I think so, eventually," Rey said. When he turned around with one raised eyebrow, she shrugged. "I wanted to, wanted your help. Ben didn't and I'm sure you can understand why. There were other candidates, a Revwian at the Gala--"

Luke scoffed. "If you don't want doctrine, the Tyia is not going to be much help."

"Well, I don't know that, do I?" she snapped. "I'm not a great reader, and wading through the sacred Jedi texts has been a real headache, even with Ben's help. We haven't even figured out how to tell if someone is Force-sensitive!"

He stared at her for a moment. "The... sacred texts...?" he said vaguely.

She blushed, her voice going quiet. "Oh, yeah. Um, I stole them? I thought you would have noticed by now...." She glanced over her shoulder, towards the dead tree that had housed the meager library. She couldn't see it from here, in the darkness.

For a long time, Luke just stood there, gawking. Then, to her surprise, he let out a bark of laughter. After a moment more followed. There were words in the laughter, half-gasped. Something about "wily old bastard" and then, more clearly in a strange, mocking voice, "Nothing in the library, there is, that the girl does not possess," followed by a snort.

Rey and Leia exchanged a concerned glance. Had Luke gone mad in his isolation?

"Alright," Luke said at last, a rueful smile on his face as he came to sit by the fire once more. "I may be a stubborn old man, but I'm enough of a pilot still to tell when I've been outmaneuvered. I'll go."

Staring at him blankly for a second, Rey shot to her feet when his words registered. "You will? That's great! I'll go tell Ben--"

Luke held out a hand to stop her. "No, let him sleep. There's a few things I'll need to do in the morning, and then we can leave."

Rey nodded and forced herself to sit back down. She was elated, but also confused. How had her theft of the texts convinced him that he should help her? It didn't make much sense. 

After a moment of considering him with much the same suspicion, Leia shrugged and put an arm around her brother. "I'm glad," she told him, and leaned her head against his shoulder.

In turn, he leaned his cheek against the top of her head and smiled just a little.

* * *

In the grim pre-dawn light, Rey made a quick check of the  _Millennium Falcon's_ exterior. Luke had gone back to the small village the night before, promising to return at the rising of the first sun, and Rey wanted everything to be ready as soon as he arrived. The air was still and fog hung thick around the island, obscuring everything but the landing and the first few flights of stairs. Even the waves seemed subdued.

So it was that she nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned around to find Ben standing behind her as if he'd suddenly appeared to her in a Force vision.

"Don't sneak up on me like that," she gasped, putting a hand to her heart to calm it.

The corner of his mouth twitched upward. "Sorry," he said, without really meaning it. 

"Did you sleep alright?" she asked him.

He nodded, and looked around the empty landing, his smile growing bitter. "I'm a little surprised you're giving up so easily, but I'm glad."

She blinked. "Giving up?"

"The pre-flight check," he gestured to where she had been testing the landing struts for loose bolts. "We're leaving without him."

"No such luck," Luke's voice came to them through the mist.

Ben whirled, his hand hovering over his lightsaber.

The old Jedi made a disgusted sound as he stepped down the last few stairs. "Do I look like I'm here to fight?" he asked acidly.

In fact, he did not. He had a large pack on his back and held several bundles in his arms. She hadn't realized he even owned so many possessions here. It was more than she had called her own on Jakku. All the same, she went to relieve him of some of the burdens.

"Here," he handed her one of the tied bundles in his hands, and then a small sack. "A gift from the Caretakers. It's the herb in that tincture, and seeds to grow more."

Rey frowned. "For me?"

Luke shrugged, and then caught his pack before it could slip. "I think so. Maybe him," he gestured with his chin to Ben behind her. "They weren't clear. They said it was for 'the pilot,' whatever that means."

Staring at the dried leaves, understanding suddenly washed over her like the waves breaking on the rocks behind them. "Poe. It's for Poe!" she laughed.

Ben scowled. "Why would Dameron need it? He's not a Jedi." He crossed his arms.

"Not a Jedi, no, but his piloting skills are good enough that I have my suspicions," she told him. Waving the leaves at him, she grinned. "But with this, we can be sure. I'll just ask him to drink some of the tincture and then try a flight simulator. If his talent comes from the Force, he won't be half as good."

Now Ben and Luke wore identical frowns of confusion. "How exactly does that help anyone?" Luke asked.

"Because," Rey said, exasperated, "It's a way to tell for sure that he's Force-sensitive. This is the test we needed! At least until we can figure out what midi-chlorians are," she reasoned.

Luke made a face. "That old techno-babble nonsense," he scoffed, and then moved past them to the boarding ramp of the Falcon. 

Rey stared after him a moment, shocked, and then raced up the ramp after them. "Wait, you know about midi-chlorians?"

"Midi-chloria," Luke corrected as he made his way into the main hold, "and no. I know of them, haven't a clue what they might be. Just that the Jedi Temple of the Old Republic used some kind of blood test to find them in order to determine which children to adopt. Didn't sound like a particularly reliable test, though."

That brought her up short. Behind her, she heard Ben close the landing ramp and ready it for takeoff. "What do you mean?"

Dropping his packs, Luke slumped into the seats by the dejarik table, running a hand over it's surface with no little nostalgia. "You need midi-chloria to listen to the Force, but having them doesn't mean you're any good at it. It's more like... an upper limit on your ability." 

Leia came out of the captain's quarters and wished them a good morning. 

He smiled in return, and her presence seemed to give him an idea. "Take Leia and I," he suggested. "We're about as close as siblings can be, genetically, without being identical. We shared the same womb. So we probably have a very similar midi-chlorian count."

Rey nodded. "The holocron Hux gave me a transcription of said that Anakin Skywalker had the highest count on record, so it's likely pretty high."

"Exactly," Luke agreed, although he had looked a little startled at the mention of a holocron. "And yet, there's a significant difference in our ability, not for lack of trying," he looked to Leia apologetically.

She shrugged. "You tried to teach me," she agreed. "And I can definitely feel it. I know now that I used the knowledge of listening to it as a politician, without even knowing that's what I had done. But doing anything with it...." She made a helpless gesture and sat next to Luke. "That stunt when the Raddus was hit was the most spectacular thing I ever accomplished, and I don't even remember it."

"There were a lot of children brought to the Temple who never really amounted to much," Luke went on. "I've met a few of them over the years. They escaped Order 66 because the Jedi had released them from the Temple when they were old enough to tell they didn't have the talent. But a few of their children were gifted." He made a pained expression and glanced towards the cockpit.

Ben stood in the doorway, looking equally uncomfortable. "We're ready for takeoff, Rey," he said in a quiet, gruff voice.

They were his other students, Rey realized, and her heart hurt a little at the thought. "Right," she said, and followed him back into the cockpit to get ready to take off.

_Well, that solves one mystery_ , she thought morosely as they lifted into the air and left the First Jedi Temple behind. _Maybe my parents were rejects from the Temple. Or maybe they were just nobodies with unexpectedly good blood._

"Are you okay?" Ben asked softly.

She nodded. "Just had a strange thought, but it doesn't matter now."

He looked like he wanted to press further, but it was time to make the jump to lightspeed. After one last round of checks, he nodded and she pressed the lever forward, taking them into the chaos of hyperspace.

* * *

 The return to the _Supremacy_ was not met with quite as much fanfare as the last time Rey had come back, but that was all to plan. She, Luke, and Leia had agreed that it would be best not to make a fuss, but to also make very sure that they were visible to all the right eyes upon their return. That way the holonet press could feel as if they had discovered the truth on their own - and make the stories that much more sensational.

DD-6 met them as soon as they disembarked and informed them that there was a minor quarantine in place. It seemed there had been a very limited outbreak of sickness - just a couple of people in one of the industrial quarters - that was likely communicated from a guest of the Gala. Grand Admiral Hux had requested the Supreme Leader's presence to discuss it as soon as possible.

Ben decided to go immediately, and Leia and Rey remained to give Luke the "grand tour." It was just as well, as they wanted to make sure that any articles claiming a "Family Reunion" didn't include the Supreme Leader and therefore risk bringing to light his relation to the twins.

Luke was duly impressed and somewhat intimidated by the size of the mobile capital. He grew somewhat quiet and reserved as the tour dragged on, but if he regretted coming along with them he didn't say so.

After a while, DD-6 reported that the news had broken on the Holonet that Luke Skywalker was alive and aboard the _Supremacy_. Relieved, they ended the "tour" and headed towards the overbridge to join the meeting that Ben  & Hux were still in.

"Welcome back, Your Mercy," Hux said with a tinge of humor as they entered the conference room. The term of address had been spread all over the holonet since the Gala, and there was no escaping it now. "I see your mission was fruitful." He gave Luke a long, assessing look. 

In his tattered grey poncho and layers of knit sweaters, beard scruffy and hair grown long and wild, Luke looked more the part of the crazy old hermit than that of a spiritual leader and Rebel hero. "Nice to meet you too," he growled, and sat at the table uninvited.

"Actually, I have some excellent information for the midi-clorian puzzle," Rey said cheerfully, taking her seat opposite Hux. "It turns out that a Force-user must have a high midi-chlorian count, but not everyone with a high-midichlorian count can use the Force at will."

Hux blinked a moment and then groaned. "It's not exclusive?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. "How is that good news?"

"Because we are now in possession of an herb and the means to grow more which deadens one's connection to the Force. If we can isolate midi-chloria," she glanced to Luke to make sure she'd said it right, "then we can use it to test whether your stormtroopers are actually using the Force to bolster their skills or not."

Dropping his hand, Hux stared at her. Something like a smile stretched his mouth, and the expression was so foreign as to be rather frightening. "That's perfect. I'll have a list drawn up of suspected troopers for testing right away."

"I'd like to test it on someone I suspect first, but if that proves useful, I'll let you have it," Rey offered.

His eyes twinkled with curiosity. "Who?"

"Dameron," Ben said darkly.

Hux sat back in his chair and shared a look of disgust with the Supreme Leader. "Wonderful," he drawled.

Rey was about to turn and explain the exchange arrangement she had with Hux to Luke, when a chime sounded from the door.

Ben scowled down at his datapad. "I thought I marked this room as not to be disturbed," he grumbled.

DD-6 chose this moment to pipe up. "It appears that the head of medical is requesting an audience of the highest priority," she informed them.

They all exchanged glances. "Let her in," Ben ordered.

The door opened and a middle-aged woman entered. She had a spare, military look to her, the no-nonsense paragon that all First Order officers aspired to. She looked perfectly calm, but through the Force, Rey could tell she was very nervous, and not because of the occupants of the room. She almost felt... frightened.

Once the door had closed, she saluted. "Dr. Tenla, your Majesties," she said properly, and then nodded to Luke and Leia, but didn't take the time to address them. "I'm afraid I have some information of utmost confidentiality." It had to be, for her to bring it in person rather than sending a message.

Ben waved a hand. "These are my most trusted advisors," he temporized smoothly, "you can deliver your information here."

"Of course, your Majesty. I'm afraid to inform you that it appears there has been an attempt to assassinate you," she said bluntly.

All around the table, everyone went perfectly still.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise not *every* chapter is going to end in a cliffhanger. But for this one, I just couldn't resist!
> 
> For once, I actually got this finished early in the week, instead of at the last possible moment. And I got some of my original novel written as well. You guys, I think I have officially worked my way through a writing slump. That was the whole goal of my once-a-week posting and it *worked.* I am thrilled!
> 
> Also, as a note, I am aware those are not the exact words Yoda said. I double-checked to make sure lol. But memory is funny like that and it's funnier this way. I like to imagine Luke trying to imitate Yoda's voice either way.


	31. Betrayal

After a moment of shocked silence, Ben seemed to collect himself. "Explain," he ordered to Dr. Tenla.

She nodded her head and consulted a datapad. "You've been alerted to the quarantine we've had to enforce in the starboard support services sector?"

He gave her a sharp jerk of a nod. "Grand Admiral Hux debriefed me, but the others have not been given the details."

"We've experienced three cases of an unknown disease," she told them quickly. "Two of the patients reported nothing similar, but the first was insensible by the time he reached medical. His condition advanced quickly - rapid edema, a high fever, and oliguria quickly developing into anuria. All patients complained of extreme joint pain, and scans showed evidence of some tissue deterioration. We were unable to find any pathology that explained the illness, there doesn't appear to be a virus or bacteria that's causing it. We suspected it might be poison or some kind of allergic reaction to a foreign substance."

Rey frowned. "But why would someone run around poisoning people in the service sector if they were trying to assassinate the Supreme Leader?"

Dr. Tenla tapped the datapad. "We just found what was causing the patients' symptoms an hour ago." Turning the tablet around, she showed them a diagram that meant little to Rey. "It's an enzyme. One of the patients reported what looked like an insect bite on entry, but it disappeared shortly after he was admitted. She seems to be in the earliest stages of the three."

Across the table, Hux shifted uncomfortably.

"We suspect some kind of parasite," the doctor explained. "Released into the Supreme Leader's bedding. The first victim was working in the laundry center that processes it, and had just accepted a new load earlier in the day when he fell sick."

"That seems like a thin chain of deduction," Ben said slowly. "We don't even know if this parasite is fatal. It could have just been carried in on one of the dignitaries, and got stuck in their bedding."

"The center that processes your laundry is high security," Dr. Tenla explained. "It's not the same facility that processes the dignitaries'."

Ben waved a hand. "Alright, then, but still. We don't even know if this parasite is fatal."

Dr. Tenla shifted. "That's why I came," she explained. "It is. After 39 hours in medical, patient zero... passed away."

Rey frowned. Dr. Tenla seemed very upset, almost... disgusted? "How?" she asked.

"He... he exploded, Your Mercy," she explained. "His internal organs and muscles had liquefied, and eventually his skin burst. Even his bones had been partially dissolved."

As shocking as that revelation was, Rey was suddenly overwhelmed with a sensation of fear and recognition. It was so strong that she couldn't quite place it at first. She glanced at Luke, and saw that he was staring intently at Hux.

Hux, in turn, looked like he had seen the face of Death. What little color he had was drained away from his face, leaving him grayish, his copper hair standing out all the more. He was the source of the fear.

Rey glanced at Ben. Surely he had felt it too. But Ben was staring very hard at Dr. Tenla, almost as if he were determined _not_ to look at Hux.

After a moment, the Grand Admiral seemed to shake himself. "I want that sector and every one surrounding it on absolute quarantine immediately," he ordered. "Full airlock isolation. Then I want a deck-by-deck scan for this enzyme or any other anomalies."

Dr. Tenla blinked. "We've already put the sector on full airlock isolation," she told him, "and we can certainly do so for the surrounding sectors. But a molecular scan of an entire sector would take... weeks."

Hux pressed his already thin lips into a line so fine it could cut. "If the parasite is still active, it should claim another victim in that time. That should narrow it down for us."

The Chief of Medical didn't quite balk, but she came as close to it as military protocol would allow. "Very likely. But it might also breed in that time."

Gloved fingers tapping rhythmically on the table, Hux considered it. After a moment he shook his head. "If it is an assassination attempt, they wouldn't have allowed for that possibility."

Raising her eyebrows, Dr. Tenla nodded. "That certainly makes sense. I'll get right to it then?"

"One last thing. No one outside of the quarantined sectors and medical is to know about this. Level 8 security clearance. I will not have a panic on this ship. Understood?"

"Yes, My Lord," Dr. Tenla saluted. "Your Majesty, Your Mercy."

"You are dismissed," Ben said woodenly.

She left immediately, walking double-time, her fear and panic barely concealed.

As soon as she was gone, Hux stood as well, awkwardly shoving his chair back into the table. "I'm going to security to review the records of everyone who had access to your quarters over the last week," he said in a weak voice.

Now, and only now, did Ben look at Hux. If looks could kill, the Grand Admiral would have burned to ash on the spot. "You do that," he growled.

Once the door had closed, there was a long moment of tension. Rey could feel Ben's control slipping, but it was gradual enough that he might get a handle on it in a moment. He was trying, and she wanted to give him the chance to succeed.

"Is no one else going to mention the Bantha in the room?" Luke said grimly.

"Luke," Leia warned.

"That boy knows something he's not telling us," the old Jedi said peevishly.

"I agree," Leia said smoothly. "But I think it's time we went back to our quarters. We have a lot of catching up to do."

Luke was about to protest, but he stopped with his mouth open and looked down to where his sister had grabbed his arm with a white-knuckled grip.

"Right. Now." she said between her teeth. She glanced at Ben and back to her brother. 

Rey saw an echo of Hux's fear and recognition on Leia's face. She had seen the expression on Ben's face before. When he was small and weak, and a tantrum might mean a broken vase or a dented wall.

Luke finally looked too, and then _looked_. His breath hissed in through his teeth, and he stood quickly. The herbal tincture had long since worn off, it seemed.

"Rey," he said softly. There was fear in his voice. Concern, for her safety.

Rey looked away from Ben long enough to give Luke a tight smile. "Don't worry about me," she said. "Ben and I need to talk, too." 

Luke gave her a tight nod. Leia's eyes were fixed on Ben, a world of grief there, but eventually she tore her gaze away and went through the door as quickly as Hux and Dr. Tenla had done.

Rey sat back in her chair. With everyone gone, Ben seemed to be regaining a measure of control. She was impressed, really. It had been a long time since he'd had a fit, and he had held it off far longer than she imagined he would be able to.

"It might be better if you let it out," she told him softly. "You did well, holding it off that long."

Ben scoffed and pushed away from the table. His chair did not topple this time. "That... weaselly bastard," he ground out. 

Raising her eyebrows, Rey sighed. "It's not his fault his parents weren't married," she pointed out. "But yes, he rather is like a Tinka weasel, isn't he?" The small creatures had a habit of collecting small pieces of scrap and hiding them in their burrows, which they would defend fiercely.

Suddenly Ben, who had been pacing like a caged Nexu, lashed out and punched the wall. The paneling cracked, but he went right back to pacing.

_Okay, jokes don't help_ , Rey mused. "Is there somewhere we could go, that it would be okay for you to... blow off some steam?" she asked.

"I should have killed him where he stood!" Ben shouted.

Rey frowned. "Hux?" 

"Who else?" he rounded on her, and let out a dark parody of a laugh. "He must have been thrilled. How easy to claim we'd been killed while out on some damn fool mission to find the last Jedi! He always hated that mission!"

Blinking slowly, she tried to follow his train of thought. "Ben, he didn't know we were going to Ach-To until that morning. _We_ didn't know."

"Well he knows something!" he roared. "And I aim to find out what!" With that, he stormed out of the room.

Rey cursed. "Didi," she said hurriedly. "Send a message to General Hux, security level 8. Tell him to make himself scarce. Wherever he thinks he can go that Kylo Ren won't find him, as soon as physically possible. Then go to security and look at the records yourself."

"Yes, Mistress," DD-6 agreed. When Rey went through the door, the droid zipped off down the corridor.

Rey could sense that Ben had gone in the same direction, following the path that Hux had taken. Tracing the eddies of Darkness and pain down the corridor, she found him waiting on a turbolift, his patience rapidly unraveling.

The lift arrived at the same time that she did, and she had to dash to get inside it with him before the doors closed. Ben punched in the deck for security, and then started trying to pace in the tiny space. Rey kept her back to the walls, and when Ben wasn't looking, moved until she was blocking the control unit. Carefully, her hands behind her back, she entered the deck for their quarters and canceled the previous order.

"I really don't think Hux is behind the assassination attempt, if that's even what this was," she said conversationally.

Ben glared at her. "He has everything to gain, and nothing to lose," he growled. "And he. Knows. Something." He ground out the words, clenching his fists and pressing them to his forehead as he continued to fight off the fit.

"I agree he knows something, and I certainly wouldn't be surprised if Hux did try to assassinate us. But I think he'd do a damn sight better job of it because he has _everything_ to lose. Besides, whatever he knows about the situation, it scares him like nothing I've ever seen," she reasoned.

Ben paused in his restless movements as if considering her words. But then his gaze focused on the lift control unit behind her. They had long since passed the deck for security. Howling with rage, he ignited his lightsaber and swept out.

Rey closed her eyes, and the blade passed close enough to her body that she could feel its heat. But she wasn't his target. Instead, his lightsaber obliterated the control unit in one swoop. The lift juddered, and Rey found herself pushed into Ben, clutching him for balance. The lights flickered, and then suddenly they came to a stop, which made them both jump.

"Ben Solo, if you get us killed in this thing, I swear..." she hissed, panicked.

Ben huffed, but the scare seemed to have been a bucket of cold water on the fire of his rage. He held her a little tighter for a moment, pressing his forehead against her hair. "It won't fall," he told her breathlessly. "There are redundant systems. And I could stop it, anyway."

She sighed. "Can you get us out, then?"

Pulling away, he looked at the door. Extinguishing the blade of his lightsaber, he clipped it to his belt and then held out a hand. The doors of the lift slowly separated. The one on the left, closest to the control unit, stuck after a moment, but the right kept moving, revealing a duristeel wall. Moving towards it, he tried to look up and down the narrow gap between it and the lift. "We're between sections," he told her.

"How far?" she asked.

"Up is closer, about twenty meters," he guessed.

Rey swallowed. "Can you... can you lift us that far?"

He studied her carefully. "Maybe. If you help me."

"Sure," she said lightly. "Lifting rocks. Same thing, right?"

He raised an eyebrow. "In principle, yes."

She took a deep breath. "I've never done that," she admitted.

"Well," he said slowly, "no time like the present to learn, apprentice." Before she could complain about that, he settled into a meditative stance, eyes closed, and she tried to imitate it.

Reaching out, she tried to feel the shape of the lift, and the tube it was caught in. It was a little difficult because it was all around her, and her hand went to one of the walls without thinking. This felt easier, familiar. It was like she could feel through the metal. She'd probably done this a thousand times without knowing it, digging in the ruins of star destroyers. When she had the sense of the lift, she reached out to Ben mentally, touching hands with him as they had in the vision on Ach-to. He was ready.

Together, they pushed, moving the lift slowly and carefully. It rattled, and then shook, and then made an awful screeching sound.

Rey let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and released her hold in the Force as well. "It's stuck," she said. "The metal has fused to the tubing where you cut it."

Ben had the sense to look somewhat sheepish. "They'll send a rescue crew soon, anyway," he mumbled.

"You did really good, holding it off that long. And this isn't that bad, in the grand scheme of things," she gestured to the smoking panel. "We should think about having a place you can go, though. Maybe a room full of old equipment you can trash."

Ben stared at her like she had grown antlers. "You really don't think he did it, do you?"

"Hux? No," Rey said with perfect confidence.

He narrowed his eyes. "Why not?"

She rolled hers in turn. "I'm not saying I like the guy, although working with him has been interesting at times. The problem is the _timing_ of his reaction."

Leaning back against the wall of the lift, Ben tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling. "It's a bit muddled," he admitted.

"That's understandable. Hux seemed uncomfortable when the symptoms started being described, but he wasn't afraid until Dr. Tenla explained how the first patient had died," she told him.

"And you think that means...?" he prompted.

"It seems like he had suspicions, like maybe it seemed familiar, and then that final detail clenched it. It's something he's seen before, and what's more, it's something he's absolutely terrified of. I've never seen Hux afraid of anything," Rey commented.

Ben looked down, frowning. "I have. Once in a while, someone will mention his father, Brendol Hux. He never shows it openly, but I can sense the fear he's hiding."

Rey grimaced. "I picked up some nasty memories the one time I read him," she agreed. "But even then, this seems much worse. If Hux was behind the assassination, he wouldn't have been surprised by the news, and he certainly wouldn't be terrified of the method of death chosen. I think maybe he recognizes the weapon, that's all."

Ben sighed. "I'm not sure. He could have ordered someone else to do it, and left the method up to them."

That made her pause. After a moment she turned around and leaned against the wall next to him. "I suppose that's possible."

They fell into a silence which, if not comfortable, was at least companionable. They were in this together - in the case of the elevator, quite literally. After a moment, Ben lifted the arm closest to her, and she instinctively moved closer so he could put it around her shoulders.

"How long do you think it will take for the rescue crew to get here?" she asked.

He looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. "Impatient to not be stuck with me?"

She snorted. "Hardly. This is probably the closest thing to a break we'll get for days."

"I can think of a good way to pass the time," he teased.

"Ben!" she giggled.

"What? It's what I wanted to do the first time I had you in this elevator," he told her, turning so he had her cornered.

Now it was her turn to raise her eyebrows. "Restraints and all?" she asked.

"Oh, definitely," he murmured, and leaned down to kiss her.

She leaned into the kiss, and he intensified it, pushing her back into the wall. Rey hitched her leg up over his hip, and he grabbed onto it, lifting her up against the wall and pinning her there so she didn't have to strain to kiss him.

"I can't believe we're doing this," she gasped as his kisses moved to her neck, his hips thrusting rhythmically against hers already.

"Have to be some perks to running this place," he murmured against her skin, before licking a line up her neck.

She shuddered and buried her hands in his hair, her moans echoing in the small chamber. Ben caught her other leg and helped her to wrap it around his waist, and then put both hands on her butt, squeezing gently and holding her up more securely.

Just then, a clanking sound came from above them. They froze, suddenly remembering they were in a stuck elevator that hung poised above a prodigious drop, held in place only by a piece of rapidly cooling melted metal. Rey was sure they would drop any moment.

Instead, more noises came from the ceiling of the lift, and Ben let out a disappointed sigh. "It's the rescue crew," he growled, letting her feet fall gently back to the floor.

Rey's face went hot, and she tried to compose herself quickly.

Ben gave her an amused smirk and kissed her one last time. "Later?"

"Later," she agreed breathlessly.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cackling* Sorry about that. I promise to make it up to you later! Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments, they really keep me going. We're getting close to the end of this story, but it's still got a good couple chapters to go, and you guys are really helping me power through it. If you've read any of my other stories on A03 you know that finishing things is not exactly my forte, so this is a huge thing for me.


	32. Threat

Once the team of droids and stormtroopers had lifted Ben and Rey out of the turbolift shaft with cables and harnesses, they headed towards another they could take down to security. Rey reasoned that Ben was calm enough by now, and Hux should be long gone anyway.

Sure enough, once they reached the deck where dozens of officers manned an impressive array of consoles, they were already hard at work.

"Your Majesty, Your Mercy," the captain on deck saluted them sharply as they entered.

Rey sighed. She supposed it wasn't any worse than my lady, but still. It was amazing how quickly these things stuck. Nobody ran around calling Hux Your Might. "Report, Captain Assej," she said, quickly reading the name on his cuff.

"We are reviewing the security records for the Supreme Leader's quarters over the last two weeks," he told her. "It would appear that aside from yourselves, only droids have entered the rooms themselves."

Ben nodded. "As I had ordered," he explained to Rey.

Captain Assej went on, his voice clipped and professional. "We are currently recalling each of these droids to the droid pool on Deck 357, to be examined for evidence of tampering. We started with the laundry droids, as we were informed they were the most likely to have introduced the weapon."

Ben and Rey glanced at each other, wondering what story Hux had told the Captain to avoid the possibility of hysteria. 

Something occurred to Rey. "You said the rooms themselves, what about the foyer? There are always two guards out there, aren't there?"

The captain nodded. "That's what we're working on right now. We've pulled the roster for the last two weeks as well, and have begun interrogating each guard."

Rey shifted uncomfortably. "By interrogating, you mean...?"

"They will only question them," Ben assured her. "The troopers will have their brainwaves and heart rate monitored during the questioning, and if any anomalies are detected, only then will they be subjected to further interrogation. Captain Assej, if any are found to have anomalous behavior, I should like to interrogate them personally," he ground out.

Captain Assej nodded sharply, but he looked a bit sick.

Rey put a gentle hand on Ben's arm. "Perhaps I should do it, Supreme Leader?" she asked carefully.

He looked down at her, caught between anger at having his quarry stolen and curiosity that she was willing to volunteer.

"If you will recall, I have something of a... lighter touch about it," she reminded him. When he continued to hesitate, she added, "Please, Master, let me take this burden from you."

He pressed his lips together firmly, and only Rey recognized that he was hiding a smile. "Very well. If you detect any anomalies, please inform the Right Hand immediately."

Captain Assej looked marginally relieved. "Yes, Supreme Leader."

Before he could say anything further, DD-6 detached from the console she had been interfacing with and drifted over to them. "I have detected an unscheduled visitor to Deck 11-A," she told them. 

"Pull up the record," Captain Assej ordered, gesturing toward his own console.

DD-6 extended a thin arm and interfaced with the console. "It occurred 2.7 hours before the Proclamation," she explained as the video screen showed a female officer exiting the turbolift with a large garment bag in one hand. She acknowledged the guards and went directly to the door that led to Rey's room.

"That's my dress being delivered," Rey remembered. "Wasn't that scheduled?"

"Yes, but it should have been a droid delivering it," DD-6 explained. "Unfortunately, the cameras were not at a good angle to capture her facial features or read the name on her cuff."

Rey frowned. "That seems odd...." But as she watched the video again, she saw it was true. The officer had held the garment bag up in such a way that it obscured her face, and shifted it to the opposite hand as she turned to where a different camera would have been able to see her. 

"She knows where the cameras are," Ben reasoned, his voice concerned.

"Try to track it backward from the turbolift," Captain Assej ordered.

DD-6 played the video backward until the unnamed officer entered the turbolift, and then pulled up the video from within. The woman kept her face and right cuff nonchalantly hidden throughout the ride. The video went on backward until she entered the lift, and DD-6 found the records for that deck quickly. She had gone to the garment factory directly, and picked up the dress herself, keeping her head down, the sweep of her short curly hair helping to conceal her as she typed in a command in the console.

"She just took the dress?" Rey asked.

Captain Assej accessed the history of that console terminal while DD-6 continued to run the video backward. "There's no record of who it was," he shook his head. "Only that the dress was logged as out for delivery. To do that, she would have had to have at least a level 6 clearance cylinder," he pointed out.

Ben frowned. "Those are fairly rare. Request reports from everyone with level 6 security to report any downtime that they did not have their cylinders on their person. She could have stolen one while an officer was sleeping."

The Captain didn't look so convinced, but he entered the order all the same. 

Meanwhile, the video continued to run backward, tracking from camera to camera as the female officer took a complicated path throughout the ship, often disappearing into blind spots. It seemed she knew where every camera was. But DD-6 was able to scan all the possible nearby cameras within the right time frame very quickly, and always found her again.

That is, until she exited an officer's locker room. Inside, they watched as she dressed in reverse, and then disappeared into the steam of the open 'fresher banks. After that, it was incredibly difficult to discern her from the dozens of other naked women, each with very similar short hairstyles. She could have been any of the officers or troopers entering. 

"That is as far as I am able to track her with any certainty," DD-6 told them. "There were 16 blonde officers taller than 180 cm who entered this locker room within the previous half hour."

Ben scoffed and turned away from the console in frustration.

Rey had an idea, though. "Didi, I got a pretty good look at her when she delivered the dress. Did you?"

The droid made an affirmative beep. "I was able to view 83% of her face. However, my optical sensors are not as sensitive as the security cameras, and I do not store high-resolution images for that long."

"Can you show us what you've got, and I can help you refine it?" she suggested.

In response, DD-6 projected an image onto the console. It was grainy and low-res, but it was more than enough to trigger her memory.

"Try to clarify the image," she suggested, "and extrapolate the other side."

DD-6 made the edges sharper and mirrored the side of the face she hadn't seen to make it three-dimensional. "There's no guarantee that this is an accurate representation," she warned.

"That's alright. Give me a moment." Rey closed her eyes and began to breathe deeply, tapping into the Force. She knew she had the memory of the face stored in her brain somewhere, as panicked and stressed as she had been at the time, and as worried as she was now. She just had to relax, and it should come to her.

"Your Mer--" Captain Assej said after a minute or two had passed. Rey had also heard the sound of leather creaking as Ben lifted a hand, and hoped he had merely gestured for the Captain to be silent, rather than choking him off. She couldn't spare the thought to worry, though.

At last, the face resolved in front of her mind's eye. "She's got wrinkles in the corners of her eyes," she said, "and between her eyebrows, and from her nose to the corners of her lips. Not deep, but they're there. A short scar, half a centimeter, on her upper lip here," she touched her own face, not opening her eyes. "And a bump on her chin, there," she touched her face again. Her eyes are blue, and her skin is pale. Not like Hux's, I don't think it's naturally pale, but more like she's never been exposed to solar radiation."

Opening her eyes, she looked at the adjusted image DD-6 had created. "The scar isn't colored. It looks very old. And she was tall - very tall for a woman. I'd say 190 centimeters. That's all I remember."

Captain Assej nodded. "We'll run this past our database and see if there are any matches for personnel aboard the Supremacy."

"Thank you," Rey said, breathing deeply.

Ben was looking around the room suspiciously. "Where is Grand Admiral Hux?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, your Majesty," Captain Assej said cautiously. "He left in a hurry, shortly before the droid arrived to assist."

"I'm sure Grand Admiral Hux is seeing to the other issue at hand," Rey said calmly, putting emphasis on the word so that Ben would know not to push it further.

"If there's nothing else then?" he asked the Captain instead.

The man looked as if he was about to salute, and then he paused. "Actually... if the weapon was carried in the garment bag, how did it make its way into the Supreme Leader's bedclothes?" he wondered aloud.

Rey felt her face flush as she realized what must have happened. "I ah..." she cleared her throat. "I set the garment bag on the Supreme Leader's bed while we were... having a conversation."

Glancing between the two of them, understanding clicked on Captain Assej's face. He suppressed a smile. The truth of their relationship was no secret - in fact, Ben had been very open about expressing physical affection in public. A few officers felt it was not professional, but surprisingly, most found it endearing. "Understood," he nodded politely. "That is everything, your Majesty."

"Good," Ben said, his voice tight. "Continue your interrogations. See if you can get a confirmation of recognition from the guards on duty."

"Yes, Supreme Leader." Captain Assej saluted and turned back to his work.

DD-6 detached from the console and followed them out of Security.

On the turbolift up to their quarters, Ben was very quiet. 

"What's wrong?" Rey asked.

"The parasite was on your dress," he whispered.

"Looks that way, yes. Or at least the bag it came in. So?" 

He turned and looked at her, fear haunting his eyes. "This wasn't an attempt on my life, Rey. It was you they wanted to kill."

Rey felt a chill pass through her body. "I... I hadn't thought of that."

The lift had reached deck 11-A, and they exited. Their guard had been doubled, and even Ben & Rey were scanned before entering. Once inside, they looked around at the furnishings.

It didn't feel safe anymore. It didn't feel like home.

Rey was suddenly angry. She stormed into her room and pulled the comforter off her bed with one hand, and dragged it along behind her. On a whim, she picked up the fur rug in front of her couch as well and left the room once more.

"What are you doing?" Ben asked.

"Making a new bed," she told him. She continued across the main room and into the training room. She threw the rug onto the floor, and then the comforter on top of it. Then she started pulling weapons off of the wall and scattering them around the nest.

Ben watched her for a moment and then left. Fine then, she thought viciously. Don't try to help me feel safe again. 

But then the door opened once again, revealing that he had returned with arms full of pillows and blankets. He dumped them on top, and then sat down to pull off his boots. "Didi, stay out in the main room and interface with the security terminal on my desk," he told her. "Lock the doors to the training room, and open them only with permission from one of us two. Inform us of any incoming messages or visitors."

"Yes, Supreme Leader," she agreed, and drifted out to do just that.

Once she was satisfied with the array of weapons, Rey collapsed to the floor next to him. He immediately put his arms around her, holding her so tight it was almost painful.

"I will keep you safe," he whispered harshly against her hair. "I will protect you if I have to die trying."

She burrowed closer to him and felt the prick of tears at the corner of her eyes. It took effort, but she managed not to point out that his life was more important than hers. "Thank you," she said instead. Closing her eyes, she tried to relax, tried to find sleep. Sensing her tension, Ben began running his hand up and down her back rhythmically. The sensation was comforting, but she found she wanted more. Fiddling with the clasps on his tunic, she opened enough that she was able to slip her hand beneath it and put her hand against his chest. There, she could feel his heartbeat. Feel that he was real and alive. But it still wasn't enough.

"Ben," she whispered.

He didn't answer, just sat up a little to pull his cowl over his head, tossing it aside. He unfastened his belt and the rest of the front of his tunic and shrugged out of both layers. He was about to unclip the straps of his sleeves, but Rey had grown impatient. She dragged him back down to the nest of blankets and pillows, kissing him hungrily. He covered her body with his, protectively, possessively. But his fingers continued to work, this time unfastening her belt and brushing aside the wrap so he could push up her shirt. She wriggled out of it as quickly as she could manage, and then let out a moan as she wrapped her arms around him once more, relishing the feel of his skin on hers. 

"More," he said hoarsely.

She nodded enthusiastically, and then they parted for a moment, each shimmying out of their pants. Ben watched her with hungry eyes, devouring the sight of her laid out before him on the wreck of sheets and their clothes. And then she was in his arms again, and he was kissing her as if he were drowning. Rey wasn't sure if she was keeping him above water or if she was what he drowned in, but it didn't matter. She was just as lost.

Reaching down, Ben moved his hand between them, moved to touch her and stoke what was quickly becoming a raging fire within her. She gasped and arched against his fingers, her own digging into his back. He slipped one digit within her, testing the waters. She thrust against him, wanting far more than what he had offered.  Whispering a curse like it was a benediction, he braced his free hand above her head and shifted so he could give her what she wanted. Pressing against her, he moved slowly, carefully, and she could sense that even now he was trying to protect her, to keep her from pain.

Rey was having none of that. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she pressed her heels against him and pulled, drawing him into her to the hilt with a tilt of her hips. 

Ben made a strangled sound and nearly collapsed against her, catching himself at the last moment. His hips ground against hers of their own accord, though, pressing her into the floor. Still, he held himself back, moving slowly to allow her to adjust to him.

"Ben," she growled. "This isn't the kind of protection I want." Reaching up, she kissed him hungrily, biting his bottom lip and then drawing it into her mouth for a moment.

"What do you want?" he whispered against her lips once she had released him.

Rey hesitated only a moment and then threw caution to the wind. "I want you to make me forget what's going on," she told him the truth. "I want you to take me so hard I can't think about anything else."

His eyes closed and he let out a puff of breath, as though she had struck him in the stomach. For a moment she worried that she really had hurt him, with her words. But then he opened his eyes and she saw within them enough heat to burn her alive.

And she wanted all of it.

Something passed between them, some understanding, and then Ben shifted to put one hand below the small of her back. "Then hold on, sweetheart," he half-growled against her hair. 

She wrapped her arms around his neck obediently and then held on for dear life as he gave her everything she asked for and more. As he rushed into her again and again, her galaxy dwindled to the two of them, and then just to him, and how he made her feel. The bond between them opened wide, making it difficult to tell where one of them ended and the other began. There was only the hunger, and the passion, and reaching for something that was just out of their grasp. 

They didn't quite reach it, but when their climax crashed against them - Rey honestly wasn't sure who came first, but with their connection so strong it hardly mattered - it was enough to make them forget. They, the two of them, were enough. What they shared was enough.

In the aftermath, they lay tangled in each others' arms, their breath slowing and the sweat on their skin cooling. Rey curled against Ben, resting her head on his chest and listening to his heart slow to a steady, even rhythm. She lay like that forever, finally feeling the calm she needed. 

"I love you," she murmured, the words out of her mouth before she even thought them. She froze, worried that her confession would put him in an awkward position. She thought he probably loved her, but she doubted he was ready to admit he was capable of love.

But his heart went on beating at the same reassuring rhythm, and the rise and fall of his chest was uninterrupted. He was already asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I had a bunch of good stuff happen all at once - the short story charity anthology I write for, Cliches for a Cause, had a submission deadline of 10-31 (I made it), Halloween happened, and I had a big shindig I helped my housemate plan for yesterday. I also got a second part time job for evenings and weekends to pay off my medical bills, so I've been super busy.   
> But the good news is I sat down and wrote most of the end of this story for NaNoWriMo. This year I'm just focusing on getting 50,000 words written and not being too picky about what story it's in. But I have two more chapters done, and I think it will only be another 1-2 after that. We're getting close to the end of this story and while I'm excited to complete it (making it one of only 4 fanfics I've ever finished lol) I'm also a little sad to see it done.


	33. Questions

The next morning they woke, sore and stiff, clutching each other tightly, tangled in the nest of blankets and the clothes they had worn to Ahch-to. Rey sat up, scrubbing the grit from her eyes. She remembered her murmured confession from the night before, but Ben was still asleep. 

A soft chime came again, and she recognized it as the sound that had woken her. It was one of DD-6's alerts. "Yes, Didi?" she asked aloud.

"You have received a report on the results of the facial recognition scan," DD-6 told her over the intercom. 

"Okay," she said sleepily. Leaning over, she kissed Ben's forehead. He stirred a little and moaned.

"Caf," he croaked.

She agreed wholeheartedly and pulled on her shirt and pants. Standing up, she picked her way through the assortment of weapons - none of them had moved, she was relieved to see - and unlocked the training room door. Peeking out, she saw only DD-6 at the desk. "I'll be right back," she told the droid, and hurried across to the 'fresher. When she came out, she immediately went to program some caf at the food prep station. "What are the results?"

"Captain Assej reports that there is no member of the First Order Armed Forces who matches the height and description of the woman who delivered your dress who could have been aboard the Supremacy at the time. There are three who match with a 90% accuracy, but all of them were confirmed present at their posts throughout the galaxy at the time of the assassination attempt."

Rey was duly impressed. She had expected the Captain to scan for everyone aboard the Supremacy, not the entire First Order. She wasn't entirely sure what the total military population was but she knew it was over a billion. It must have taken all night to run those programs. She was also surprised there were only 3 matches, but then blonde hair, blue eyes, and extraordinary height in females were all unusual features among humans. To have them all in one person was slightly less likely, and to have similar scarring even less than that.

"So she's not one of ours, then." She took the mugs of caf and made her way back to the training room. "Thank you, Didi, let me know if there's anything else."

"Yes, Mistress," the droid said. At least she didn't call her "Your Mercy."

Once inside, she locked the doors again. Sitting down in the blankets, she waited for Ben to prop himself up before handing him his mug. "No match on the face," she told him.

He scowled, which was a little diminished because he was wrapped in her fluffy comforter. "I was sure that it would be someone from within," he muttered. "How else could she know where the cameras were?"

Rey shook her head and sipped the bitter drink. It warmed her from within, and she almost felt like she could sense the moment when the stimulant touched her very soul.

Especially since, a moment later, an idea came to her. "Oh no," she breathed.

"What?" Ben sat up a little straighter.

"BB-8 had a complete schematic of the Supremacy when he returned to the Resistance," she recalled. "Remember, they tried to smuggle him out on the Falcon?" 

Closing his eyes, Ben fought back a rush of Darkness that threatened to consume both of them. "Dameron. I knew I shouldn't trust him. I bet that whole apology nonsense was just an excuse to get close to us."

"I'm not so sure," Rey said softly. "He seemed very genuine to me. But I haven't heard from Finn in ages, and he was the one who tried to get the plans out to their allies in the first place."

He studied her a moment, his ire calming slowly. "You realize you're implying the person you once claimed was your only friend has tried to have you assassinated?" 

She took a deep breath and drank down the rest of her caf. "Yes, I do. Let's go talk to Poe."

* * *

They found Poe Dameron in the flight academy. Rey wasn't terribly surprised, she assumed that was where he would end up eventually, whether he wanted to work with Grand Admiral "Hugs" or not. She was more surprised to find Luke there as well. Although when she thought about it, she shouldn't be. He was a pilot too, after all.

"You two are just in time," the old Jedi said cheerfully as they approached a bank of flight simulators. Two of them were active, rocking side to side and gyrating within their suspension rigs. A small crowd of trainees was gathered around the display screens, which showed two fighters in a heated dogfight. 

"I assume that's Dameron?" Ben gestured towards the monitors, which showed the latest model of X-wing.

"Looks like," Rey agreed.

One of the trainees turned to see who was talking, and her eyes went wide when she spotted the two of them. Rey put a finger to her lips, and the girl nodded enthusiastically and turned back to watch the show. 

The new TIE Interceptor chased doggedly after the X-Wing on the screens, twirling and firing away. Poe narrowly dodged the shots, seeming to jerk out of the way just before the green bolts landed. He made a complicated maneuver and got himself behind the TIE Fighter.

"The one in the TIE really knows what he's doing," Rey commented to Luke, who had stepped back to stand next to them.

"That's Lieutenant Kessa, the top-level flight instructor. She's very talented, but it's all textbook strategy. A little improvisation here and there, but nothing out of the box. But him," he nodded to Poe's X-Wing. "Now that is definitely Shara Bey's boy."

Rey felt warmth flush through her body. So Poe had gotten to talk to Luke about his mom after all. She was so glad. 

Just then, the Tie Fighter went up in a flash of red bolts, one of the simulators going suddenly still. The other came to a more gradual stop, and then both lowered slowly to the ground. As soon as the cockpit doors opened, Poe was rushing out. "That was amazing, Kessa!" he called out, hopping down from the simulator.

Lieutenant Kessa exited her simulator with a little more decorum. "I still lost," she pointed out, but there was no resentment in her comment.

"I don't think a single fighter has kept me engaged in that long in ages," Poe pointed out. The two met up and shook hands, and Poe clapped the instructor on the back.

The students all clapped politely.

"Alright, time for the real test," Luke called out.

This time when the students turned around, they all saw Ben and Rey. They all stiffened into miniature salutes, their instructor doing the same with calm grace.

Rey grinned. "Sorry to interrupt," she said casually. "Supreme Leader Kylo Ren and I are both experienced pilots as well, and were intrigued to see how the test would go. At ease."

The students relaxed but only a fraction.

"As well you should be," Luke agreed. "Here." He handed a thermos to Poe. "Drink some of that, and give it a minute to kick in. I'll warn you, it's nasty."

Poe took the thermos and drank, and made a comical face. The students laughed nervously.

"Now, who can tell me some of the stratagems I used?" Lieutenant Kessa asked, capturing their attention once more. The students paid her full attention and began calling out answers.

Poe, on the other hand, sidled up to Ben and Rey. "So what really brings you out here?" he asked quietly. "I understand there's some serious stuff afoot, although I don't know what, of course," he nodded to Luke, who nodded back.

"I wanted to ask you about Beebee-ate," Rey got right to the point. "There was a possible intruder aboard the Supremacy. They knew where all the security cameras are, but they don't match the description of any First Order member who could have been aboard at the time. I was wondering if it was possible that the schematics Beebee-ate downloaded could have gotten into the wrong hands." She spoke very quietly, keeping an eye on the students.

"Not a chance," Poe said immediately, with full conviction. "I wiped that out of his memory when I reconfigured his loyalty subroutines."

Rey looked to Ben. By his expression, he obviously wasn't convinced. She sighed.

"Poe, I absolutely hate to ask you this, but do you mind if I... check to make sure that's true?" she whispered.

He went a bit green, and swallowed thickly, glancing over at Ben with newfound fear. "Will it hurt?"

"No," she answered immediately. "It will be quick and painless if you don't fight it. Just remember it, picture where you were when you did it."

He nodded and closed his eyes.

Rey reached up and touched his forehead briefly. It was right there on the surface. 

_Poe huddled in a small, cluttered room in the bunker on Crait, carefully going through the coding line by line. The schematics had taken up an enormous amount of the droid's memory, and getting rid of it was a relief. He didn't want his boy used as a pawn again. Not after that nonsense. Finn was a damn fine man, but he could really be an idiot sometimes. He ought to show him what he really thought--_

Rey pulled away before she saw more than she wanted to. Well, that was an interesting discovery. She cleared her throat and removed her hand. "Thank you."

"That's it?" Poe seemed surprised. 

She nodded, smiling. Then she turned and took Ben's hand, feeding all but the last few seconds of the memory to him through their bond. He took a deep breath and then let it out. "I apologize for doubting you, Dameron."

"I understand," the pilot responded. "It's clear you're protecting something very important." He glanced meaningfully at Rey.

"That should have kicked in by now," Luke called. He'd moved over to answer a few questions from the students about Rebel forces tactics. 

Poe turned around. "I don't feel any different," he admitted.

Luke shrugged. "You won't until you need it. In you go!"

Poe and Lieutenant Kessa climbed back up into their simulators, and everyone gathered around the monitors to watch. At first, the fight went much the same, the two pilots spinning around in complicated patterns and firing at each other with abandon. But then, not a minute in, Kessa sent a bolt of green fire over the edge of Poe's S-foil, scorching it and damaging the engine on that side. Poe managed to compensate, but it was clear that he was having a much harder time keeping up. Only a few moves later, she landed a hit directly to his cockpit, and the fight was over.

The students didn't seem so excited this time.

"That's how most dogfights go," Luke explained in a very teacher-like voice. "On a perfectly even playing field, the loser is whoever makes the first mistake. Nothing more, nothing less."

Poe was significantly less exuberant when he got out of the cockpit this time, although he congratulated Lieutenant Kessa with as much grace as she had. 

"How did you feel?" Luke asked him. 

"Everything went so fast," Poe said, shaking his head. "It was like I was moving in slow motion. Things happened before I even realized it. Did that stuff slow my reaction time or something?"

Rey grinned. "Well, that's the end result but it didn't have that effect on Lieutenant Kessa."

The flight instructor smiled and shook her own thermos. Empty.

Poe looked at Rey, and then at Luke, and then shook his head, closing his eyes. "You mean I've been cheating this whole time?" he asked. 

"It's not cheating," Rey and Luke said at the same time.

Ben paused. "It kind of is."

"It's not," Rey insisted. "Some people are naturally more talented than others, at reading or doing math, or physical stamina," she looked pointedly at Ben's remarkable physique. "The Force is just another one of those things."

Lieutenant Kessa turned to her students. "The Right Hand of Mercy is starting a new school," she explained to the students. "If anyone in the First Order, anyone at all, shows a talent for using the Force, she will teach them how to use it however they see fit."

One of the students raised his hand, and she nodded to him. "But I really want to be a pilot. What if I'm Force-sensitive and I don't want to be a Jedi?"

The adults smiled, and Rey stepped forward. "If you want to use your talents to be a pilot, then that's what you'll be. I'm certain the First Order would be more than happy to have you back when you've completed your studies with me. In fact, Grand Admiral Hux insisted on it. Also, my students won't be Jedi. I'm not a Jedi, and neither is the Supreme Leader. Master Luke here is the last one to hold that title, and he's not interested in passing it on. Isn't that right?"

Luke folded his arms. "Nope. None of that nonsense about starting too late or turning your back on your friends."

The students began to pester Poe with questions about what it felt like to fly with the Force, and he did his best to try to answer them, given he'd only just figured out that's what it was. While he spoke, Luke turned to face Rey and spoke quietly.

"That's quite the talent you have for pulling memories," he said a little darkly. "It's usually a nasty Dark Side trick, I've never seen someone do it so gently."

She shrugged. "Helps if I don't have to go digging," she admitted. 

He nodded. "I overheard what you said to Poe about the intruder. You should talk to Hux. He knows something, maybe he'll recognize this person you're looking for."

Rey looked to Ben, who nodded to her. "Thank you, Master Luke," she said. "Make sure the results of this test get reported to Medical. I'll see you later."

"Of course, Your Mercy," he said with good humor, and bowed low before winking. "Supreme Leader."

Ben just sighed heavily and turned to leave. 

Once they were out of earshot, Rey asked DD-6 where Hux was currently.

"That information is restricted to security level 8 and only available at a secure terminal," she announced. 

Changing their course, Ben led them to just such a terminal, at one of the observation stations in the training center. He typed in the request again.

The screen answered only, "This information is not available to Supreme Leader Kylo Ren."

"How is that possible?" he asked.

Rey grimaced. "Sorry, that's my fault. Here," she moved so she was standing in front of the terminal, and gestured for him to move far enough away that his chip wouldn't register. The coordinates immediately appeared, and she frowned at them. "Isn't that..."

"These coordinates are within the quarantined area," DD-6 confirmed. "That deck in particular had a positive reading for the parasitic enzyme on the medical scans."

Sure enough, a warning scrolled along the bottom advising all personnel that the deck was off limits. 

"What the hell does he think he's doing?" Ben demanded.

Rey shook her head and then groaned.

"What?"

"Yesterday, I told him to go somewhere you wouldn't find him," she said slowly. "Somewhere on the ship he could be sure you wouldn't follow."

Ben stared at the screen with mild horror. "That idiot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have officially written the end of this story! We've still got two chapters to go after this, so you'll get updates for 2 more weeks. After that, you'll have to follow me on Tumblr (MariaArnt) to find out if I do something new or post Reylo fanart.


	34. Answers

Ben and Rey stood in front of a blast door, arguing.

"I shouldn't even let you go in there at all, much less alone!" he yelled. 

"Someone has to go help him!" she shouted back, unclipping her white cape and tossing it aside. It would only get in the way. She was glad she'd opted to wear a pair of wide-legged black pants and a white blouse that hugged her form today, they were serviceable if not perfect. Her hair was tied back from her face, and she shook it a bit to make sure it was secure.

"Fine, then I'll do it," he growled.

"Not a chance," she splayed her arms across the doorway as if she could block him with her small body alone.

"Then we'll both go," he suggested.

"No. We cannot have the entire ruling body of the whole galaxy all stuck in quarantine at the same time," she pointed out. "You have the autonomy to act without our approval, therefore you have to be the person who stays outside."

Ben let out a wordless growl, obviously not finding a logical argument and resorting to sheer feral rage instead. "If he's the one who tried to kill you this could be a trap!"

"A really stupid trap," Rey rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm going in and you can't stop me--" she started.

"YOU WILL OBEY MY ORDERS!" he roared.

Rey froze, her mouth closing with an audible snap in the silence that followed. She stared up at him for a long time, waiting patiently as he caught his breath, calming by slow degrees. For once, she wasn't afraid of him, only disappointed. He seemed to sense this and looked away.

"Supreme Leader, this is a mission you cannot go on without risking the safety of the entire galaxy," she said evenly, coldly. "As your Right Hand, I must do this thing for you. I may be the only person who can do it safely."

Ben's shoulders slumped. "Then go," he bit out.

"Yes, your Majesty," she saluted. Turning, she activated the panel to open the blast doors, and they began rolling slowly open.

"Rey," he croaked, just before she stepped forward. When she turned, he grabbed her roughly and for one terrifying second, she thought he would throw her out of the way and dash through the doors himself. Instead, he pulled her into a crushing kiss, and after half a second she threw herself into it with equal passion. When the door was open he wrenched himself away, and she stepped back into the quarantine zone, never breaking eye contact with him as the doors closed once more.

"I love you," he said at the last possible moment.

She smiled sadly. "I know," she told the closed doors.

Taking a deep breath of the stale, recycled air, she turned to look for Hux. She had a scanner she'd purloined from Medical, calibrated to detect the parasite's enzyme. Whatever it was, it was definitely on this deck. Communications had been blocked from the deck to minimize the chances of hysteria, so she'd been unable to contact Hux. But life signs showed that while most of the troopers trapped within were remaining huddled in their quarters as ordered, one human was wandering the corridors in an orderly, systematic pattern. Almost as if it were looking for something. So she had some idea of where to go.

Walking the empty hallways, her heeled shoes ringing on the duristeel, Rey kept her eyes on the monitor and let the Force guide her turning. She was almost surprised when the scanner beeped an affirmative, and she froze.

"Don't move! Damn!" she heard someone crash into something, and only then looked up. 

Hux, or something like Hux, was crouched on the floor, one hand jammed into the slats of a ventilation shaft. His hair had fallen into his face, which had a dusting of copper stubble on it. When he scowled up at her, there were dark circles under his eyes. 

"Armitage?" she asked softly.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" he demanded. Yanking his hand out of the ventilation shaft, he cursed loudly and kicked it.

"Looking for you," she explained. "Hux, have you been bitten?"

"What?" he passed a hand over his face. "No. I just haven't slept in over two cycles, or had any... caf for hours."

Rey frowned. It wasn't the first time that she suspected Hux was on a more powerful stimulant than caf, but now was not the time to discuss vices. 

"Why are you here?" she asked. "I just got a positive reading for the enzyme a moment ago, it's dangerous here."

"Not as dangerous as Kylo Ren," he ground out. "When I got your message, I panicked. I know he thinks I did it. I don't have to be a Jedi to see that. I knew he wouldn't follow me here, and then I thought... If I could just find it, I could somehow prove..." he sighed heavily.

"You didn't do it, did you," she said. It wasn't a question.

"Of course not," he said bitterly. "You two literally do nothing but the things I don't want to be bothered with. Why in all the stars in the galaxy would I want to get rid of that?"

She sighed heavily. "That's what I said."

They stood there a moment, strangely surprised to have found a sort of uneasy camaraderie. 

"You know what we're looking for, don't you?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," he agreed in a tired voice. "It's a beetle."

"How did you recognize it?"

"It's how my father was assassinated," he told her. "The official record states he died of a failed heart, but it's not true. He died the way Dr. Tenla described. It was... oddly satisfying at the time. But still horrific."

"Did you see it go into the ventilation screen?" she asked.

"Just a flash of gold," he admitted.

"What were you going to do if you caught it? Wouldn't it bite you?" She frowned.

Hux held up a code cylinder, then opened it to show it was empty. "One of the assassins I occasionally use hides poison this way."

"Did they do this?" Rey gestured to the deck around them.

He frowned. "No."

She got the impression that he had a good idea who did, though. First things first. "Can you let me see the image of the beetle as you remember it?" 

He looked at her uneasily and then grimaced. "Alright."

"Just picture it," she told him, and touched his forehead lightly. It was cold and clammy. 

_A man wearing red stormtrooper armor stood before him. He held up a clear vial with a beetle inside. Iridescent gold and a centimeter and a half long, it had horns and a sharp beak. "That's why the med droid couldn't identify it. They never saw the beetle, just its bite and the effects of its venom," the man said._

Rey pulled back, trying to sort through the emotions that came with the memory. Guilt, fear, relief, pride in a subordinate's work. Shaking it off, she focused on the image of the beetle instead.

"I'm going to try to pull the beetle out of the ventilation shaft," she said. "Have the cylinder ready."

Hux nodded and turned to stare at the vent.

Closing her eyes, Rey touched the metal of the bulkhead, following it into the shaft. It went on for some time - the beetle must be moving quickly - but finally, there it was. She could feel its life in the Force, could tell that it came from a world that was tainted with a wrongness that wasn't quite the Dark Side. No, there was something genuinely evil about this bug. Lifting it carefully off the floor of the shaft, she used the Force to carry it back toward them, it's little legs scrambling for purchase in the air. 

It became difficult to get it through the slats, as the gaps were hardly large enough to let the bug pass. She opened her eyes and squatted down, extending her hand a little so she could focus. At last, it came free and almost went zooming for her hand, but Hux darted forward and trapped it in the cylinder.

In the second she saw it with her own eyes, she recognized that it was colored exactly like the metallic leaves and flowers that had been sewn to her dress for the Proclamation. It could have been in plain sight and she never would have noticed. 

Letting out a shaky breath, she withdrew a small datapad from the pocket of her pants. "Do you recognize this woman?" she asked, showing him the image DD-6 had constructed from her memories.

Hux looked down at it, strangely fascinated. "No. But then, I wouldn't. She's made very, very certain that everyone who's ever seen her face is dead."

"Then you know who it is?" She put the tablet away.

Hux swallowed visibly. "I do." He seemed very tired.

"Get this to medical, and get yourself some caf," she said, eyeing him knowingly. "And then we can figure out how to handle this."

He nodded.

* * *

Rey reached the blast door that she had come in through. She put her hand to it and reached out with her mind. _Ben?_

She felt his presence immediately, felt his panic and his relief at her return. Before she could even bother to communicate that it was safe to open the door, she heard the airlock hissing open. The doors slowly moved apart, and as soon as they opened, Ben's hand came through the diamond in the middle, reaching out for her. She grabbed it firmly, squeezing to let him know she was fine. He all but pulled her through when it was wide enough, and she half-fell against him.

He held her tightly, and Rey wasn't sure if that was why it was hard to breathe or because, with their connection open, she could feel just how much he loved her. He had heard her the night before, but he'd been mostly asleep and hadn't processed it until the following morning. 

"Rey," he murmured softly.

"I'm alright," she assured him, pulling away. "Hux located the parasite and I helped him capture it." Sending him the memories of their encounter, she gestured to the Grand Admiral, who still stood just inside the open blast doors. 

Ben glared at him, clearly expecting a snide remark about his display of affection. But Hux merely regarded his two counterparts with an air of tired resignation. "I should get this to medical," he gestured with the code cylinder.

Ben blinked. "Yes," he agreed, and gave the man a second look. "And maybe get yourself a stimulant. You look like you haven't slept in a week."

Hux sighed heavily as he walked past him. "I intend to get several."

* * *

Rey, Ben, and Hux sat at one end of the conference table they had shared just the day before. Luke sat next to Rey, leaning back in his chair. The paneling had been fixed, and only the remaining dark circles under Hux's eyes and Leia's conspicuous absence spoke of any difference from the day before. Hux wasn't tired anymore, but jittery and impatient as they pretended not to watch the door, waiting for the fifth member that had been called to this conference.

At last, the door opened, and a chrome-clad figure stepped inside, saluting neatly. "Your Majesty, Grand Admiral, Your... Mercy," she said, the hesitation almost imperceptible. "How may I serve you?"

"Captain Phasma, we need your expert advice on something," he said, gesturing to the seat at the other end of the table. 

Phasma stepped forward but did not sit. "On what?"

"On this," he set a clear vial into which the beetle had been placed on the table. "It comes from your homeworld of Parnassos, does it not?"

There was half a moment of pure tension, and then several things happened at once. 

The access panel on the door flashed red, indicating it was locked.

Phasma's blaster went flying into Luke's hand.

Ben stood and threw his hand out, wrenching it in a clawing motion.

And Phasma suddenly lifted several feet off the floor, hands going to the base of her helmet.

"Don't choke her!" Luke yelled.

Ben turned his head a fraction so he could look at him. "I'm not. She's frozen. It's harmless."

"It's not comfortable," Rey chipped in, "but it doesn't hurt really."

"Oh." Luke relaxed, lowering the blaster. "My father... he uh. He was a fan of the choking thing."

They all looked at Phasma, who hung motionless, her rapid breathing audible through her helmet's voice modulator. 

"She's trying to keep her helmet on," Ben explained. Apparently, she was fighting his hold pretty hard. 

Rey sighed and lifted a hand, using the Force to pull the helmet gently off. After all the fuss, it seemed vaguely anticlimactic to see the face of the female officer who had delivered her dress. "That's her," she agreed.

Very slowly, Ben lowered her to the ground, and then sat back down in his chair. Luke kept her own blaster casually trained on her, but she made no attempt to escape.

"Why?" Hux asked, a world of fatigue and something like sorrow coloring the word. "I did not order this. Why would you take it upon yourself to assassinate the Supreme Leader?"

Phasma scowled. It was strange to see expressions on her face when she had been an inscrutable figure for so long. "I wasn't trying to kill the Supreme Leader," she spat. "I was trying to kill her." She turned her glare on Rey. 

Ben and Rey weren't surprised, their suspicions only confirmed, but Hux was shocked. "Rey? What were you thinking trying to kill the Right Hand? She's about all that keeps the Supreme Leader from -" He paused, glancing wide-eyed at Ben. "No offense meant, your Majesty."

"None taken," Ben said smoothly. "You're quite correct. Rey's influence is what keeps me level-headed enough to rule." He put his hand over Rey's on the table. "Unless that was your intention, to set things off-balance?"

Phasma rolled her eyes. It was clear she'd grown used to having the mask to hide behind. "I couldn't care less about your love affair," she said acidly. "I'm more concerned about the direction she's taking the First Order. _Mercy_ ," the word made her sneer. "I joined the First Order because I despise weakness in all its forms. I saw an organization that understood that survival is the only thing that matters. She'll bring the whole thing down with her _mercy_."

There wasn't much to be said to that. 

"You came from a hard planet," Rey said softly. "I've heard about Parnassos."

"Don't," Phasma said. "Don't pretend you're like me."

Rey tilted her head. "I'm not, and I think that's pretty obvious. Because while I do agree with you that survival is the only thing that matters, my primary concern is that as many people survive as possible. Not just me and those beings I find useful. Mercy isn't weakness. It's strengthening everyone together. It's making sure places like Parnassos and Jakku don't happen. So no one has to grow up like either of us, without a real childhood."

Phasma just glared at her. "You don't get it. And you never will."

"Honestly? I hope you're right. I hope I never understand what you mean," Rey said, done with trying to reason with her. She released her hold on the door's locking mechanism, and it opened to reveal a squadron of special-forces stormtroopers.

Hux stood wearily. "You are hereby stripped of all rank and privileges, Phasma. You are under arrest for attempting to assassinate the Right Hand of the Supreme Leader, the Hand of Mercy. You will be taken to the brig and executed as soon as feasibly possible."

The stormtroopers saluted and took hold of Phasma, forcing her to leave the room. She glanced at Hux for only a moment and then continued to glare at Rey until the doors closed.

Sighing heavily, Hux dropped back into his seat. "Damn. Who's going to oversee the stormtrooper training program now?"

Rey blinked at the table. "I can think of one man who would be incredibly vested in making sure it was ethical and effective."

Ben and Hux looked at her a moment. Recognition passed over Hux's face first.

"No. No, we are not having the only deserter in the history of the program run it," he insisted.

Ben raised his eyebrows. "She has a point, though. He's intimately familiar with the flaws of Phasma's system."

Hux wiped a hand down his face and turned to look at Luke. "They're both crazy," he told the old Jedi.

"That's what I said," he agreed.

Hux sat there a moment longer, and then stood up. "I am going to sleep for at least half a cycle," he announced. "And we can deal with this mess when I wake up."

"I think we could all use a rest," Ben agreed, "and you've certainly earned it."

Hux nodded his appreciation but stood there for a moment. Rey could sense that something had shifted between the three of them, something vital. What was it?

"Well I'll be damned," Luke said softly. "You three actually trust each other. Leia's right. You might just pull this crazy thing off."

Hux gave him a leisurely glare. "This is the man you spent all my resources trying to kill?"

"Until recently, yes," Ben agreed.

"I should have given you more support," he drawled, and then left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks! Bit of a late post as I was at Philcon this weekend. I had a great time, and will definitely be going back next year, hopefully as a vendor and panelist!   
> A lot of the details from this chapter come from the book Phasma, by Delilah S. Dawson. It was an interesting enough read, I was hoping to learn more about Armitage Hux but instead got more info about his father, Brendol Hux. As for Phasma, it naturally goes into great detail explaining her history, but honestly, I didn't find her at all relatable and she's kind of one-dimensional even with all that exploration. Still, a lot of cool worldbuilding for Parnassos, so I was happy to include that here.  
> Next week's chapter is the last, and I just want to thank you all for sticking with me through this whole thing. It's been a really rough year and your comments and encouragement have made a huge difference in my happiness. You're all the best and I appreciate every single one of you.


	35. Epilogue

Rey strode into the antechamber just off the throne room. It was packed with officers and attendants, each preparing for the court session about to begin. In the center of the chaos stood Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order Federation, looking every inch the part in his black cape and robes, a smattering of gold feathers around his shoulders. She watched him scowl at the lieutenant who fussed with the folds of the cape - the young man paid his ire no attention, and merely went on with the job of making his leader presentable. _Hux chose that one well_ , Rey mused.

She moved along the outside of the room, keeping out of the way. Eventually, she caught Ben's eye, and it was a wonder, as always, to watch his face soften into the man she knew and loved. He held out his hand, and she went to him, the hustle and bustle parting between them as if choreographed. 

"You look beautiful," he murmured when she took his hand.

"I have Didi to thank for that," she joked, and the droid hovering over her shoulder made a flattered little beep. 

The lieutenant finished fussing over Ben and turned to look her over critically. "You are a saint, Didi," he agreed, and reached down to twitch a fold out of the train of her white dress. Standing once more he passed a hand through his blonde hair - a little longer on top than regulations really dictated, Rey noticed - and sighed, giving Ben one last inspection. "You'll do." And without being dismissed, he walked away.

Rey laughed at Ben's flustered expression.

"I ought to have him disciplined for insubordination," he growled.

Rolling her eyes, she came to stand just inside the fold of his cape. "It's good to have a few people who don't live in terror of us," she pointed out. "Plus," she eyed the way the lieutenant looked back at the Supreme Leader when he wasn't looking, "he'd probably enjoy it anyway."

Ben frowned for a long moment, and then his expression cleared, replaced by a slight flush as understanding dawned on him. He opened his mouth to object, but just then the door opened and Hux strode in.

His uniform looked like something out of a schematic, the white jacket and jodhpurs pressed until the creases looked like they could cut, every medal and ribbon placed within a micrometer of regulatory requirements. His hair was coiffed into something that looked free-flowing but was in fact rigidly unmoving. His boots reflected the room around them in perfect detail, and the golden epaulets shone as if they were newly smelted.

Rey afforded herself a small smile at his appearance. As much as Hux liked to claim he was more concerned with function than appearances, he was far more involved with his "look" than she or Ben.

"What's the news?" she asked, gesturing to the tablet he was currently scowling down at in a preoccupied fashion.

"Phasma's destroyed another probe doid," he muttered darkly.

Ben sighed heavily. It had surprised exactly no one that two weeks ago she hadn't even reached the brig before escaping, stealing a small shuttle with a hyperdrive, and disappeared into unknown space. The one mistake she had made was in stealing _Rey's_ shuttle, which, in his paranoia, Ben had bugged with all manner of trackers. She had ditched it eventually, of course, but by that time their spies were already on her trail. 

"Did she lose them, then?" Ben asked anxiously.

"No," Hux reassured him. "It's just an inconvenience. Surely she's figured out by now that we're not attempting to capture her."

Rey shrugged. "That may be the case, but she probably hasn't realized yet that we intend to watch her forever. Let her pick her own prison, we'll keep guards wherever she likes. But her own paranoia will probably keep her on her toes for a long time before she makes peace with that."

"Which is all for the better," Ben said darkly. He wasn't a fan of the decision not to pursue with deadly force. But both Hux and Rey had warned him that would only lead to a one-woman war of attrition, and so long as they knew where she was and what she was up to, it didn't matter much if she lived or died. 

"Two-minute warning," a captain near the door called out.

"I'm still not convinced she won't start some kind of rebellion," Ben added after a moment, clearly hashing out the argument in his head once more.

"She's not a leader," Rey answered immediately. "She can function as one if she's put in the position, but people won't follow her once they see that she's really only out to protect herself."

Hux nodded. "That's why I never promoted her beyond Captain. She was good at whipping the cadets into shape, but only because they were terrified of her."

"How is Finn doing, by the way?" Rey asked.

An unpleasant expression crossed Hux's face as if he had tasted something bitter. "He's finished making modifications to the training program, and I've approved most of them. A few I've allowed on a trial basis with a study group, just to make sure the ramifications to the programming aren't catastrophic."

"I've read the reports," Rey said slyly, "I mean, how is he _doing_?"

Hux scowled. "Very well. The cadets love him. And Captain Dameron is doing well in the flight program, while we're talking about your friends. "

Rey shared an amused look with Ben.

A soft chime sounded, signaling that it was time for the procession to begin. They lined up in their places, and Rey found that with a week's practice this wasn't nearly as awkward as it had been the first time. Ben stood in front, with Rey and Hux behind him to his left and right, respectively. The doors opened, and they passed through the vestibule, now empty, and into the throne room itself. 

Everyone within turned and saluted, right fist placed over their heart. A few of the non-military types bowed, curtsied, or made whatever gesture of respect their culture dictated. Kylo Ren paid none of them particular attention, keeping his eyes straight ahead on his throne, at the top of a small series of stairs. 

Rey, however, did look out at the attendees, and as a result, a pattern had emerged of particularly desperate applicants sitting on the first seat of the left side, so they could reach out their hands to touch her. Part of her recoiled - she didn't want anyone to think she was blessing them - but she knew that her approachability was what made her effective in her role in the triumvirate. She reached out a hand and touched a few as she passed, smiling encouragingly at those who thanked her and sharing looks of sympathy for the crying faces among them.

Beside her, Hux took note of the attendees on the right side. A few nods were exchanged, or sometimes a word or two, but with a curt and business-like attitude. These would be petitioners for military support, and they were far more cut-and-dry than Rey's.

At last, Ben reached the throne and turned so that Rey was now his Right Hand and Hux his Left Hand. There were smaller seats for them, still a bit throne-like but a step down from his, but they would usually stand beside him unless a petitioner specifically came to one of them individually. 

"Court is now in session," Ben proclaimed, and sat down. "We have no announcements. The first petitioner may approach."

Most of the petitioners were representatives from new worlds making their official pledge to join the Federation. Thus far, they hadn't needed to put any pressure on worlds to join, and while the majority of them that came forward were impoverished or underdeveloped, a few more prosperous worlds had put their hand in too. Rey knew Leia and Holdo had much to do with that, their appointment as Emissary and Viceroy to Christophsis was something of an exception, but an effective one. By allowing the two of them to work together, it made them terribly effective recruiters.

There were also a few petitions from worlds that had already joined, requests for military aid or humanitarian support. Most such requests were made via correspondence, but there were a few cultures that preferred the traditional route. The three of them had found that indulging them was for the best, as the coverage on the holonet was always popular.

The last petition, however, came from a world that had joined but had been causing trouble since. The problem lay in the fact that there were two different species sharing the planet, with two different governments, and they hated each other. Rey's emissary had been working hard to try and broker peace between the peoples but hadn't been able to make much traction. The viceroy had requested troops to prevent violence between factions but had otherwise washed her hands of the situation. At last, it became clear that the only way for the problem to be resolved was for the Supreme Leader to personally hear the arguments and make a verdict. It was the first time this aspect of the Federation had been enacted, and the holocams hovered around to see how it would pan out.

Kylo Ren stared down at the two politicians. Each had presented their argument, with no change from what had been originally reported. Each wanted the other evicted from the more resource-rich areas of the planet. "And you were unable to reach a compromise?" he asked.

The politicians regarded each other with barely-concealed disgust. "No," said one. The other made a sharp gesture with his hand that indicated the same.

Kylo turned to Rey. "Which faction holds the majority of the planet?"

She tapped her datapad, reviewing the information there. "It looks like it's almost exactly even," she said regretfully. _Split right down the middle_ , she thought.

Ben's eyes lit up, and she felt a rush of excitement from him, although he gave no outward sign of it. He turned back to the politicians. "Allow me to suggest a compromise for you, then," he said smoothly.

The two beings didn't look particularly thrilled by the idea, but they listened.

"We've been developing the old Death Star tech to use it for some remarkably innovative mining operations. I believe we currently have the ability to neatly split your planet into two hemispheres, is that right, General?" He looked to Hux.

Hux nodded. "I believe we're ready for a test run, we could use this planet as our beta," he agreed.

The politicians showed identical expressions of shock despite the differences in their anatomy. The tall one came to his senses first. "Hand of Mercy," he appealed to Rey, "Surely you can see the madness of this plan! Millions would die!" he shouted.

Rey had also been shocked by the plan, but felt no Darkness from Ben, only a hint of amusement. Hux likewise sported the particular sneer he got when he was demeaning someone.

She examined the image of the planet on her datapad. "We'd have to assess whether it was more efficient to split the planet on the equator or from pole to pole, but based on those calculations we'd be happy to offer evacuation services for the affected areas prior to the splitting," she suggested, trying to keep her face blank.

The politician who had spoken turned a funny shade of green, and the other one slumped a little. For a moment, Rey felt a little sorry for them. It must have been incredibly intimidating to face the highest power in the galaxy and have them unanimously suggest the destruction of your planet.

"P-p-perhaps a less drastic comp-p-promise can b-b-be reached," the shorter politician suggested, his species' habit of trilling labial consonants exaggerated by his nervousness.

"Yes," the taller one agreed. "Perhaps... splitting the population among the two largest continents?" Considering that his argument had been eradicating the other species from his home continent, it wasn't far from his original goal.

As such, the other politician looked doubtful. "Perhaps the House of Mercy could help us determine the best way to divide our land?"

"I would be happy to assign a special task force to do an assessment," Rey told them, "If you're willing to abide by our judgment, we will provide resources to assist with the relocation. However, bear in mind that all relocation must be voluntary, and if you choose to provide incentives to the population you must supply those funds yourself."

"That sounds most fair," the first one said graciously. The smug bastard probably thought the House of Mercy would side with him. She'd have to let whoever she sent know to watch out for him.

"We shall await your verdict then, your Mercy," the short one agreed. They bowed and left. 

When court had ended and the three of them had left the throne room, Rey turned on Ben. "Split the planet in half?" she demanded.

He shrugged carelessly. "They were never going to agree with it," he said. "Anything is preferable to the destruction of the planet, so it motivated them to compromise."

Rey shook her head in disbelief. She eyed Hux, knowing he'd have done it in a heartbeat. "Do we really have the ability to split a planet in half?" She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

Hux raised his eyebrows and considered her a moment. "Not neatly," he said at last. "The system under development that the Supreme Leader is referring to is designed to split open an uninhabited planet without creating a great deal of small debris, in order to make minerals at the core easily accessible. The resulting tectonic activity would probably level any structures on the surface."

Ben nodded. "Hadn't considered that. Still."

She let out a long sigh. They had been bluffing. "I swear, if I wasn't here you two would probably blow the whole thing up in three cycles flat," she muttered.

Ben and Hux looked at each other. "If we didn't kill each other first," Ben said.

After a moment's awkard pause, something like a smile tugged at the corner of Hux's mouth. "Did you just... tell a joke?"

Ben raised his eyebrows. "Is there some rule that the Supreme Leader isn't allowed to tell jokes?"

"It's only allowed if they're good jokes," Rey teased.

Ben smiled, and Hux actually chuckled. Rey felt something like hope blossom inside her. They were making this work. It was going to be okay. "See you tomorrow?" she said to Hux, spotting an aide coming to whisk him away to some important military business.

"Not if I see you first," he replied, giving an overly elaborate salute before turning to go with the aide. 

Turning to Ben, Rey smiled up at him. "What does your schedule look like?" she asked.

"I'm open for an hour or so. Why, does my Right Hand require an appointment?" he asked.

She snorted. "If I require an appointment, it isn't happening," she said darkly. "I was just curious if you'd be interested in a short... sparring session."

His eyes glinted with suppressed excitement. "I'll cancel my next meeting if we go long."

She gave him a wry smile. "You would." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, folks. The very last chapter. I hope you've enjoyed reading, it's been great hearing all your wonderful comments.
> 
> I'm taking a break from long-form Reylo fanfiction while I work on several original novels I have in progress, but if you keep your eye on my Tumblr I'll be announcing when I'm ready to take requests for one-shots and illustrations. 
> 
> Thank you so much for all of your support and for sticking around this long!

**Author's Note:**

> Be sure to check out my tumblr, mariaarnt.tumblr.com, for updates, corresponding artwork, and previews of upcoming chapters! You can follow me on Facebook too: @mariaarntauthor


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